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Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review

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  • Oscar E. Medina

    (Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie—Michael Polanyi, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín 050034, Colombia)

  • Carol Olmos

    (Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie—Michael Polanyi, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín 050034, Colombia)

  • Sergio H. Lopera

    (Grupo de Yacimientos de Hidrocarburos, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín 050034, Colombia)

  • Farid B. Cortés

    (Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie—Michael Polanyi, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín 050034, Colombia)

  • Camilo A. Franco

    (Grupo de Investigación en Fenómenos de Superficie—Michael Polanyi, Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Medellín 050034, Colombia)

Abstract

The increasing demand for fossil fuels and the depleting of light crude oil in the next years generates the need to exploit heavy and unconventional crude oils. To face this challenge, the oil and gas industry has chosen the implementation of new technologies capable of improving the efficiency in the enhanced recovery oil (EOR) processes. In this context, the incorporation of nanotechnology through the development of nanoparticles and nanofluids to increase the productivity of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils has taken significant importance, mainly through thermal enhanced oil recovery (TEOR) processes. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of nanotechnology applied to oil recovery technologies with a focus on thermal methods, elaborating on the upgrading of the heavy and extra-heavy crude oils using nanomaterials from laboratory studies to field trial proposals. In detail, the introduction section contains general information about EOR processes, their weaknesses, and strengths, as well as an overview that promotes the application of nanotechnology. Besides, this review addresses the physicochemical properties of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils in Section 2. The interaction of nanoparticles with heavy fractions such as asphaltenes and resins, as well as the variables that can influence the adsorptive phenomenon are presented in detail in Section 3. This section also includes the effects of nanoparticles on the other relevant mechanisms in TEOR methods, such as viscosity changes, wettability alteration, and interfacial tension reduction. The catalytic effect influenced by the nanoparticles in the different thermal recovery processes is described in Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7. Finally, Sections 8 and 9 involve the description of an implementation plan of nanotechnology for the steam injection process, environmental impacts, and recent trends. Additionally, the review proposes critical stages in order to obtain a successful application of nanoparticles in thermal oil recovery processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Oscar E. Medina & Carol Olmos & Sergio H. Lopera & Farid B. Cortés & Camilo A. Franco, 2019. "Nanotechnology Applied to Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-36, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:24:p:4671-:d:295680
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Abarasi Hart & Joseph Wood, 2018. "In Situ Catalytic Upgrading of Heavy Crude with CAPRI: Influence of Hydrogen on Catalyst Pore Plugging and Deactivation due to Coke," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Yasaman Assef & Pedro Pereira Almao, 2019. "Evaluation of Cyclic Gas Injection in Enhanced Recovery from Unconventional Light Oil Reservoirs: Effect of Gas Type and Fracture Spacing," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-24, April.
    3. Hashemi, Rohallah & Nassar, Nashaat N. & Pereira Almao, Pedro, 2014. "Nanoparticle technology for heavy oil in-situ upgrading and recovery enhancement: Opportunities and challenges," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 374-387.
    4. Daniel Montes & Wendy Orozco & Esteban A. Taborda & Camilo A. Franco & Farid B. Cortés, 2019. "Development of Nanofluids for Perdurability in Viscosity Reduction of Extra-Heavy Oils," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Xiaofei Sun & Yanyu Zhang & Guangpeng Chen & Zhiyong Gai, 2017. "Application of Nanoparticles in Enhanced Oil Recovery: A Critical Review of Recent Progress," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-33, March.
    6. Vladimir Alvarado & Eduardo Manrique, 2010. "Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 3(9), pages 1-47, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Oscar E. Medina & Yira Hurtado & Cristina Caro-Velez & Farid B. Cortés & Masoud Riazi & Sergio H. Lopera & Camilo A. Franco, 2019. "Improvement of Steam Injection Processes Through Nanotechnology: An Approach through in Situ Upgrading and Foam Injection," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Jamil Fadi El-Masry & Kamel Fahmi Bou-Hamdan & Azza Hashim Abbas & Dmitriy A. Martyushev, 2023. "A Comprehensive Review on Utilizing Nanomaterials in Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-28, January.

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