Foam formation in gas-liquid flow in porous media

Foam can be used in enhanced oil recovery to maximize oil production. The presence of liquid lamellae between gas bubbles in the foam reduces the gas mobility, leading to a more stable oil displacement flow. The flow mobility is a function of the pore geometry and foam properties. Foams can be injected in the reservoir or produced in-situ in the gas-liquid flow through the pore space. The goal of this research is to study foam formation during drainage of a two-dimensional porous media glass model by visualizing the pore scale displacement flow of a surfactant solution by injected gas. Image processing is used to study the evolution of the phase distribution and foam characteristics as a function of pore space geometry and flow conditions.