scholarly journals Use of nanoparticles to improve thermochemical resistance of synthetic polymer to enhanced oil recovery applications: a review

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-97
Author(s):  
Henderson Ivan Quintero Perez ◽  
Maria Carolina Ruiz Cañas ◽  
Ruben Hernan Castro Garcia ◽  
Arnold Rafael Romero Bohorquez

Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide (HPAM) is the polymer most used in chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR) processes and it has been implemented in several field projects worldwide. Polymer injection has shown to be an effective EOR process. However, it has not been implemented massively due to HPAM polymer's limitations, mostly related to thermal and chemical degradation caused by exposure at high temperatures and salinities (HTHS). As an alternative, a new generation of chemically stable monomers to improve the properties of HPAM has been assessed at laboratory and field conditions. However, the use of enhanced polymers is limited due to its larger molecular size, large-scale production, and higher costs. One of the alternatives proposed in the last decade to improve polymer properties is the use of nanoparticles, which due to their ultra-small size, large surface area, and highly reactive capacity, can contribute to reduce or avoid the degrading processes of HPAM polymers. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be integrated with the polymer in several ways, it being worth to highlight mixing with the polymer in aqueous solution or inclusion by grafting or chemical functionalization on the nanoparticle surface. This review focuses on hybrid nanomaterials based on SiO2 NPs and synthetic polymers with great EOR potential. The synthesis process, characterization, and the main properties for application in EOR processes, were reviewed and analyzed. Nanohybrids based on polymers and silica nanoparticles show promising results in improving viscosity and thermal stability compared to the HPAM polymer precursor. Furthermore, based on recent findings, there are great opportunities to implement polymer nanofluids in cEOR projects. This approach could be of value to optimize the technical-economic feasibility of projects by reducing the polymer concentration of using reasonable amounts of nanoparticles. However, more significant efforts are required to understand the impact of nanoparticle concentrations and injection rates to support the upscaling of this cEOR technology.

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-90
Author(s):  
Т. A. Pospelova

The article discusses ways to increase the oil recovery factor in already developed fields, special attention is paid to the methods of enhanced oil recovery. The comparative structure of oil production in Russia in the medium term is given. The experience of oil and gas companies in the application of enhanced oil recovery in the fields is analyzed and the dynamics of the growth in the use of various enhanced oil recovery in Russia is estimated. With an increase in the number of operations in the fields, the requirements for the selection of candidates inevitably increase, therefore, the work focuses on hydrodynamic modeling of physical and chemical modeling, highlights the features and disadvantages of existing simulators. The main dependences for adequate modeling during polymer flooding are given. The calculation with different concentration of polymer solution is presented, which significantly affects the water cut and further reduction of operating costs for the preparation of the produced fluid. The possibility of creating a specialized hydrodynamic simulator for low-volume chemical enhanced oil recovery is considered, since mainly simulators are applicable for chemical waterflooding and the impact is on the formation as a whole.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (44) ◽  
pp. 12461-12468
Author(s):  
Lei Jiang ◽  
Jingtao Sun ◽  
Jiqian Wang ◽  
Qi Xue ◽  
Songyan Li ◽  
...  

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison J. Scott ◽  
Laura Romero-Zerón ◽  
Alexander Penlidis

Polymer flooding is a promising enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique; sweeping a reservoir with a dilute polymer solution can significantly improve the overall oil recovery. In this overview, polymeric materials for enhanced oil recovery are described in general terms, with specific emphasis on desirable characteristics for the application. Application-specific properties should be considered when selecting or developing polymers for enhanced oil recovery and should be carefully evaluated. Characterization techniques should be informed by current best practices; several are described herein. Evaluation of fundamental polymer properties (including polymer composition, microstructure, and molecular weight averages); resistance to shear/thermal/chemical degradation; and salinity/hardness compatibility are discussed. Finally, evaluation techniques to establish the polymer flooding performance of candidate EOR materials are described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pan-Sang Kang ◽  
Jong-Se Lim ◽  
Chun Huh

Abstract The viscosity of injection fluid is a critical parameter that should be considered for the design and evaluation of polymer flood, which is an effective and popular technique for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It is known that the shear-thinning behavior of EOR polymer solutions is affected by temperature. In this study, temperature dependence (25–70 °C) of the viscosity of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide solution, the most widely used EOR polymer for oil field applications, was measured under varying conditions of the polymer solution (polymer concentration: 500–3000 ppm, NaCl salinity: 1000–10,000 ppm). Under all conditions of the polymer solution, it was observed that the viscosity decreases with increasing temperature. The degree of temperature dependence, however, varies with the conditions of the polymer solution. Martin model and Lee correlations were used to estimate the dependence of the viscosity of the polymer solution on the polymer concentration and salinity. In this study, we proposed a new empirical model to better elucidate the temperature dependence of intrinsic viscosity. Analysis of the measured viscosities shows that the accuracy of the proposed temperature model is higher than that of the existing temperature model.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora S. Portillo-Vélez ◽  
Monserrat Bizarro

There is an increasing interest on the application of ZnO nanorods in photocatalysis and many growth methods have been applied, in particular the spray pyrolysis technique which is attractive for large scale production. However it is interesting to know if the nanorod morphology is the best considering its photocatalytic activity, stability, and cost effectiveness compared to a nonoriented growth. In this work we present a systematic study of the effect of the precursor solution (type of salt, solvent, and concentration) on the morphology of sprayed ZnO films to obtain nanoflakes and nanorods without the use of surfactants or catalysts. The surface properties and structural characteristics of these types of films were investigated to elucidate which morphology is more favorable for photocatalytic applications. Wettability and photocatalytic experiments were carried out in the same conditions. After UV irradiation both morphologies became hydrophilic and achieved a dye discoloration efficiency higher than 90%; however, the nanoflake morphology provided the highest photocatalytic performance (99% dye discoloration) and stability and the lowest energy consumption during the synthesis process. The surface-to-volume ratio revealed that the nanoflake morphology is more adequate for photocatalytic water treatment applications and that the thin nanorods should be preferred over the large ones.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Tagliaferri ◽  
Federica Trovalusci ◽  
Stefano Guarino ◽  
Simone Venettacci

In this study, the authors present a comparative analysis of different additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for high-performance components. Four 3D printers, currently available on the Italian national manufacturing market and belonging to three different AM technologies, were considered. The analysis focused on technical aspects to highlight the characteristics and performance limits of each technology, economic aspects to allow for an assessment of the costs associated with the different processes, and environmental aspects to focus on the impact of the production cycles associated with these technologies on the ecosystem, resources and human health. This study highlighted the current limits of additive manufacturing technologies in terms of production capacity in the case of large-scale production of plastic components, especially large ones. At the same time, this study highlights how the geometry of the object to be developed greatly influences the optimal choice between the various AM technologies, in both technological and economic terms. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the technology that exhibits the greatest limitations hindering mass production due to production times and costs, but also due to the associated environmental impact.


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