Frequently Asked Questions
How does Interface Fluidics technology differ from traditional testing?
Depending on the application and test, Interface Fluidics has no impact on the customer’s real time operations, does not require putting anything downhole, changing production or wasting a core sample. Interface has reduced cost and time turnaround, provides visual access to the impact of the fluids, and only requires 100 ml of oil.
What is microfluidics?
Microfluidics is the study of fluids in channels from 1 to 1000 microns in diameter. Our silicon chips model fluid interaction and porous media with pore scales at 50 microns.
How important is a representative oil sample for microfluidic testing?
The molecular compositions of oils and reservoirs can vary greatly around the world and have a direct impact on how chemistry performs on a well-by-well basis. A representative oil sample is important to provide results tailored towards specific wells and reservoirs.
How does Interface Fluidics apply the results from its microfluidic model to large-scale heterogeneous formations?
Interface chips are representative of the pore scale at any one location within the reservoir, similar to how core floods represent small subsections of a larger system.
Our ability to control porous media characteristics allows for these parameters to be included in a test matrix. For example, average pore throat size can be varied to understand its relationship to recovery factor in Polymer EOR.
What’s the design and screening process like?
First, we design the reservoir analogue with AutoCAD using characteristic reservoir information such as pore throat size, distribution, porosity, permeability and wettability.
Next is in house analogue fabrication which is conducted by our fabrication experts who make sure all analogues pass Interface’s quality control matrix.
Once the analogue is ready for testing, we inject the representative fluidics into the chip then we run our reservoir relevant process.
Finally, we grab all the information (mostly in image and video form) and apply our proprietary image analysis algorithms to extract the quantitative data set that helps operators make better decisions.
Our chips are designed from characteristic reservoir data provided by customers. We then engineer the chip and fabricate it in-house.
What data sources does Interface Fluidics need?
- Permeability
- Porosity
- Pore throat size distribution
- Wettability
- Thin section or SEM imaging, if available
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Water composition for injected and connate waters
What is a reservoir chip?
A microfluidic or nanofluidic device that replicates reservoir properties. Our microfluidic chips are made from a silicon base layer, anodically bonded to a borosilicate glass top layer.
How does Interface Fluidics ensure the right wettability or surface properties?
We ensure our devices have the correct wettability and surface properties by measuring the contact angle optically via visual microscopy.
What permeabilities can Interface Fluidics work with?
We can work with almost any permeability down to 1 nanodarcy. In our screening processes we customize chips to match the permeability of the rock or reservoir.
What are Interface’s pressure and temperature capabilities?
- Flowback (275 Bar, 204°C) | (4000 psi, 400 °F)
- EOR (240 Bar, 204°C) | (3500 psi, 400 °F)
- Regain Conductivity (1 atm, 93 °C/200 °F)
- PVT (1000 bar and 204°C) | (14503 Psi 400 °F)
How does Interface Fluidics deal with not having reservoir materials in the system?
The silicon substrate is a good representation of sandstone and allows Interface Fluidics to observe how fluid to fluid interactions behave at the pore scale.