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By : Sarthak Shah (PE16M006)IIT MARDASApplications Of Nanotechnology In EHOR

What Is Nanotechnology2Engineering With Molecules And AtomsDealing with Sizes of 1 to 100 nanometers Fabrication of a Device or System on a nanometer Length ScaleInvolves Synthesis and Utilization of: NanoParticles / NanoFibers / NanoFilms / NanoCrystals

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Kondratyevs Cycle3

WHY Nanotechnology4Properties of Material ChangesNumber of Atoms at surface become significantProvides Large Surface to volume Ratio (Enhanced Activity At Surface)Chemically Modified Surfaces (Wettability Alteration At Nanoscale)Enhanced Thermal Properties (Heat Transfer)

Nanomaterials5

Major Applications of Nanotechnology6

Applications In Oil & Gas Industry7

Why used in EOR??8

Heavy Oil : Gravity less than 22 APIExtra Heavy Oil: Less than 10 API ; viscosity 50000 cpAll have high S,N components than light oilsResins Are responsible for keeping Asphaltenes mixed with the saturates. Thus high amount of resins does not allow oil to flow easily

Nanotechnology In EHOR9

Three Major Branches

Nanofluids10Nanofluids are made by dispersing the nanoparticles in a base fluid. The most widely used nanoparticles is silicon nanoparticles with a different wettability.

Because nanoparticlesincrease the injected fluid viscosity and also at the pore scale they are able to change wettabilty of the meduim towater-wet or partially water-wet.( HLPN, LHPN or NWPN) The base fluids for stabilized dispersion depends on the nanoparticles wettability (alcohol was selected to disperse NWPN and HLPN while water is best for LHPN in the formation. , etc..)

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Role Of Nanofluids11The main role of Nanofluids is the wettability alteration from oil wet to neutral wet or water wet or vice versa. Wettability alteration is achieved by adsorption of nanoparticles of the desired wettability on the rock. This adsorption is occurred due to disjoining pressure.

HLPN alter the rock from water wet to oil wet. LHPN alter the rock from oil wet to water wet. NWPN alter either oil wet or water wet rock to neutral wet.

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Disjoining Pressure12

When they come into contact with a discontinuous phase, such as an oil-rock interface, these particles self assemble to form a thin film known as a wedge layer. This wedge film then exerts a pressure on the discontinuous phase, called a disjoining pressure, which effectively works to separate the oil from the rock surface and carry it out of the rock pore.

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Comparison with Water and Polymer Floods13

Factors affecting Nanofluid in EOR applications14

Size of nanoparticles: with increasing particle size the surface area decreases .So the disjoining pressure will decrease. Concentration of nanoparticles: A dramatic increase in the spreading of the nanouid is seen with the increasing nanoparticle concentration (wt.%). The nanouid viscosity also increased with increase in nanoparticle volume fraction. Wettability of nanoparticles: Oil wet or Water WetBrine Concentration: with increasing the brine concentration, the disjoining pressure decreases. Brine PH: with increasing the brine PH, the disjoining pressure decreases. Rock composition: Considering the reservoir rock as a charged surface and in the absence of gravitational forces influencing these tiny particles, charge interactions become more pronounced. Oil Composition: The optimum concentration depends on the oil composition.

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Nanoemulsions15

Emulsions that are stabilized by particles and colloidal are not new and they are called Pickering Emulsions A significant difference between surfactants and particles is the attachment of particles at the oil/water interface. Nanoemulsions is emulsions that is stabilized by nanoparticles. Nanoemulsions are a class of emulsions with a droplet size in the range of 50500 nm. Due to small droplet size, they are small enough to pass typical pores, and flow through the reservoir rock without much retention. Emulsions in practice are generally stabilized with surfactants, but emulsions can also be formed using colloidal solids as stabilizers. Emulsions stabilized with nanoparticles can withstand the high temperature reservoir conditions for extended periods.While surfactants adsorb and desorb relatively easily, particles require high energy for attachments to the interface and are consequently virtually irreversibly adsorbed.

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Nanofoams17Similar to Nanoemulsions, CO2 Nanofoams can be formed There are surfactant stabilized Co2 foams typically used.Surfactant retention is an issue.Surfactant foams are stable for a few hours whereas nanoparticle foams are stable for a long periods(up to a year).

Co2 Nano Foam

Self guiding fluids where rates are high the foams develop and reduce the mobilityFoam generation in fractures is even more advantageous in carbonatesThere is requirement of a theshhold shear rate for the genration of foamsSurfactant stabilized foams degrade beacause of adsorption of surfactns while silica nanoparticle based foams are more stable.Fumed silica nano particle cost is 4$/lb other cheap nano particles available are: fly ash; nano clays etc..Improved volumetric sweep efficincy17

Nanocatalyst18The so-called in-situ upgrading is accompanied by decreasing the asphaltenes and resins content, molecular weight and sulfur content, and by increasing saturates and aromatics content and H/C ratio. This technology of the use of ultradispersed metals or nanoparticles as catalysts for in situ upgrading of heavy crude oil and bitumen/tar sands. Nano-sized transition metal can easily transported through the porous media of micron-sized.

According to research, addition of nanoparticles to the injected steam allowsincreasing its heat capacity, raising efficiency of thermal-steam treatment of oil stratums with extra-heavy crudeoil.18

Aquathermolysis19Aquathermolysis results in irreversible lowering of heavy oil viscosity. Aquathermolysis window ranges from 200 oC to 300 oC Chemical Reactions of Aquathermolysis According to the theory of chemical valence, among C-O, C-S, and CN chemical bonds, the C-S bond energy is the least. Because of this, the C-S bond will break in the process of aquathermolysis and result in a low amount of sulfur and heavy components such as resin and asphaltene. The hydrolysis of aliphatic sulfur linkages is the main characteristics of these reactions.

Nanocatalyst Used20The analysis found that all transition metal species have the ability to accelerate the decomposition of the sulfur compounds. Among all the transition metal species, VO2+ , Mo3+ ,Ni 2+ and Fe3+ are the most effective for aquathermolysis of heavy oil. Nickel nanoparticles improved the recovery of the steam stimulation process by 10%.

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Other Specific Uses21

Limitations22Although, nano-particles have high mobility in porous media because their size are quite smaller compared to the pore size, but some proportion of the catalyst are retained in the sand.However, there are still hurdles facing it, which include determining the effective size of the nano-catalyst to secure penetration in the porous reservoir matrix, changes in temperature during operation may result in settling, separationpossible agglomeration of the nano-catalyst, synthesis delivery of the nanocatalyst particles.

Because of the unique properties of nano-particles such large surface area; they have the potential to adsorb asphaltenes present in the heavy oil and bitumen.

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References23Nanofluids in HV application TUDeft universityA review on applications of nanotechnology in the enhanced oil recovery part A: effects of nanoparticles on interfacial tension Goshtasp Cheraghian (2016)Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Polymer/ nanosilica, H. Yousefvand et al (2015)EOR/IOR-nanotechnologies: present and future, Alexander Khavkin et al (2014)SPE157094 Nanotechnology assissted EOR techniques, new solutions to old challenges, Shahayab Ayatollahi (2012)CO2 EOR: Nanotechnology for Mobility Control Studied Sinisha (Jay) Jikich (2012)

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