Understanding of the pore scale phenomena in porous media is a crucial step towards designing a more efficient enhanced oil recovery techniques in large scale oil reservoirs. Three dimensional (3D) x-ray micro CT imaging and recent advanced in 3D image analysis are primary tools that provide unprecedented level of detailed pore scale information of complex rock structures. Combining this technology with laboratory EOR experiments provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind the oil recovery process. Low salinity water flooding is a relatively convenient and efficient tertiary recovery method which is applicable to the most of the reservoir types. However, its performance prediction is uncertain because this technique is not fully understood.

In this talk, I will present my findings during my PhD about underlying mechanisms of low salinity water flooding, at the pore-scale, by direct visualization and image analysis of various set of experiments.