Improved insight on the application of nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery process
Tinuola Udoh
Abstract
Application of nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery process is an emerging technology that is growing very fast as evidenced by the number of increasing publication articles in this field. Different studies have showed that application of nanoparticles to oil production systems can enhance oil recovery and improve the mobility of the trapped oil in the continuous water phase in the pores of the reservoir rock. Different mechanisms however have been proposed for the effective nanoparticles enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. This paper aims to provide improved insight and understanding on the enhanced oil recovery process of nanoparticles. The paper focused on the applications of nanoparticles in the EOR process. The parameters that influence and affect the application of nanoparticle-EOR were highlighted and discussed. Elaboration on the potential of hybrid EOR processes in which nanoparticles were combined with other proven EOR methods were also reviewed in this study. The mechanisms attributed to efficient nanoparticle-EOR process were then presented and the paper was rounded off with the challenges and directions for future research on the application of nanoparticle-EOR process. The study in this paper is relevant to nanoparticles EOR design for effective results.