Investigation of the mechanism of chemical destruction of surfactants applied for EOR

Chemical destruction of nonionic surfactants occurs under the action of elements in catalytic amounts, involved in the reservoir medium. In some oil fields the destruction can be as high as 80% (OΠ-10). Main products resulted from the chemical destruction are alkylphenols, paraffins, residuals of polyoxyethylene fragments followed by interetherification to form sulphide and sulphoxide compounds.