Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs ›› 2024, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (3): 1-10.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-6535.2024.03.001

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Research Status on Mechanism of Enhanced Oil Recovery by Nanofluids

Hao Long1, Hou Jirui1, Liang Tuo2, Wen Yuchen1, Qu Ming3   

  1. 1. China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing, 102249, China;
    2. Xi′an Shiyou University, Xi′an, Shaanxi, 213164, China;
    3. NEPU Sanya Offshore Oil & Gas Research Institute, Sanya, Hainan, 572024, China
  • Received:2023-06-11 Revised:2024-03-22 Online:2024-06-25 Published:2024-07-26

Abstract: As a new technology to enhance oil recovery, nanofluid flooding has advantages over traditional surfactants and polymer solutions flooding. However, the current research on the mechanism of this technology is not systematic. Based on the research progress of nanofluids at home and abroad,this study summarizes the main EOR mechanism of nanofluid flooding. Meanwhile,the current difficulties faced by this technology and the future research direction are pointed out.The results show that the EOR mechanism of nanofluids flooding includes: reducing oil-water interfacial tension;forming a wedge-shaped film in three-phase (oil-water-solid) zone, which results in the pressure of structural separation; improving the mobility ratio to expand the swept area; altering the wettability of rock;enhancing foam stability; reducing injection pressure and selecting the porous channels of water plugging.Future research can focus on improving the stability of nanofluids, reducing costs, conducting synergistic studies on the mechanisms of enhanced oil recovery, and developing efficient nano-flooding systems.This study lays a theoretical and experimental foundation for the large-scale application of nanofluids in enhanced oil recovery process.

Key words: nanofluids, enhance oil recovery, interfacial tension, pressures of structural separation, wettability

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