Enhancing Recovery of Oil Using Nano Particles - An Overview

Nanotechnology has become the buzz word of the decade! The precise manipulation and control of matter at dimensions of (1-100) nanometres have revolutionized many industries including the Oil and Gas industry. Its broad impact on more than one discipline is making it of increasing interest to concerned parties. The Nanotechnology applications have pierced through different Petroleum disciplines from Exploration, to Reservoir, Drilling, Completion, Production and Processing & Refinery. Nanotechnology also strikes the stage of production enormously to enhance the oil recovery via molecular modification and manipulate the interfacial characteristics. Moreover, in a very similar fashion, it provides novel approaches to improved post production processes. The present paper provides an overview of the various types of nanoparticle which enhance the recovery of oil. "Polysilicon" nanoparticle can alter the reservoir wettability and reduces interfacial tension resulting in additional recovery of entrapped oil from pores. Nanoparticles derived from transition metal oxides namely NiO, Co3O4 and Fe3O4 adsorbs asphaltenes from heavy oil which reduces the viscosity of heavy oil and enhances oil recovery.