Experimental study and modeling adsorption behavior of a robust cross-linker on carbonate rocks at different temperatures.

The rising challenges of high water cuts and fluid production costs in mature oil reservoirs necessitate efficient interventions to optimize reservoir productivity. This study addresses these challenges by investigating the adsorption behavior of hydroquinone (HQ), a highly effective crosslinker in in-situ gel applications, on carbonate rocks across varying temperatures. Adsorption batch experiments revealed that the HQ adsorption capacity, following the Langmuir model, decreased from 45.2 mg/g-rock at 25 °C to 34.2 mg/g-rock at 90 °C. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the exothermic (enthalpy = -6494 J/mol) and spontaneous (entropy = 6.47 J/mol·K, ΔG ranging from - 8335 J/mol to -8737 J/mol across 25-90 °C) nature of the process. These findings demonstrate the temperature-dependent nature of HQ adsorption, which reduces at higher temperatures due to increased molecular motion and solubility. Furthermore, core flooding experiments in porous carbonate matrices showed lower adsorption capacities, ranging from 31.2 mg/g-rock at 25 °C to 17.3 mg/g-rock at 90 °C, highlighting the distinct behavior in porous media environments. These results provide a pathway to optimize operational conditions for chemical injection processes in petroleum formations, ensuring reduced crosslinker loss and enhanced gel performance in situ. Insights from this study contribute to the development of cost-effective and efficient reservoir management strategies.