Impact of Filtration-Capacity Properties of Natural Terrigenous Reservoir Rocks on Oil Displacement Efficiency at Various Formation Water Salinities
https://doi.org/10.18599/grs.2026.1.5
Abstract
This study examines the impact of formation water mineralization – a key determinant of wettability boundary conditions – on oil recovery efficiency in natural terrigenous reservoir rocks exhibiting diverse filtration and storage properties. The investigation focuses on sandstone samples obtained from three hydrocarbon fields (Ashalchinskoye, Vostochno-Birlinskoye, and Zuyevskoye) located in the Republic of Tatarstan and Ulyanovsk region, employing advanced digital rock physics techniques through X-ray microtomography-based reconstruction of porescale models. The research establishes that the incremental oil recovery achieved through rock hydrophilization via controlled water salinity modification demonstrates strong dependence on the sample’s filtration characteristics, with enhanced permeability correlating directly with more pronounced positive effects from wettability alteration. A distinct linear relationship emerges between the magnitude of oil recovery improvement and the permeability coefficient, revealing that reservoirs with superior flow capacity exhibit greater responsiveness to salinity-engineered wettability modification. These findings provide critical quantitative insights for optimizing waterflooding performance in terrigenous reservoirs through strategic manipulation of injection water chemistry, particularly for the studied fields in the Volga-Urals petroleum province, while establishing a fundamental relationship between petrophysical properties and recovery enhancement potential through salinity-controlled wettability alteration.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: This work was supported by a grant from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan.
About the Authors
T. R. Zakirov
Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Timur R. Zakirov – Cand. Sci. (Physics and Mathematics), Head of the Department of Mathematical Methods in Geology, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies
4/5 Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420111
A. S. Khayuzkin
Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Alexey S. Khayuzkin – Assistant, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies
4/5 Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420111
L. M. Mannapova
Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Leysan M. Mannapova – Engineer, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies
4/5 Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420111
A. M. Elizarov
Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University; National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Alexander M. Elizarov – Dr. Sci. (Physics and Mathematics), Professor at the Institute of Information Technology and Intelligent Systems
4/5 Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420111
Moscow
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Review
For citations:
Zakirov T.R., Khayuzkin A.S., Mannapova L.M., Elizarov A.M. Impact of Filtration-Capacity Properties of Natural Terrigenous Reservoir Rocks on Oil Displacement Efficiency at Various Formation Water Salinities. Georesursy = Georesources. 2026;28(1):54–64. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18599/grs.2026.1.5
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