A new development by Russian specialists can significantly increase the efficiency of oil production. The innovative nanofluid helps to extract up to 70% of hydrocarbons from the reservoir, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods.
Specialists of the Perm National Research Polytechnic university presented a unique development for the oil industry. They created a special nanofluid that can increase the oil recovery rate to 70%. This technology solves one of the main problems of the industry – low production efficiency due to the strong retention of oil in microscopic pores of the rock.
Conventional methods allow recovery of no more than 40% of reserves, especially from hard-to-reach reservoirs. Existing technologies have serious disadvantages: high energy costs, expensive reagents and environmental risks. Nanofluids have emerged as a promising alternative, but they also face instability problems in reservoir conditions.
Perm scientists have developed an innovative composition that includes nanoparticles aluminum and silicon with special stabilizers. Aluminum particles penetrate into the smallest cavities of the rock and destroy oil accumulations from the outside, while silicon particles work from the inside of the deposits. Special stabilizers create a protective shell around the particles, preventing them from sticking together.
The experiments showed impressive results: the nanofluid weakens the bond between oil and water by 16 times. This allows water to easily separate oil droplets from the rock surface and direct them to the well. Interfacial tension is reduced from 29 to 1.80 mN/m, which significantly improves the process of oil displacement.
Tests on rock samples confirmed the high efficiency of the composition. The use of technology made it possible to increase oil recovery by 21.5% compared to the use of ordinary water. The development efficiency turned out to be 1.5-3 times higher than traditional analogues.
An important advantage is the environmental safety of the composition. All components are non-toxic and do not form harmful compounds in the formation. The solution remains stable for two weeks without separation, which simplifies its transportation and storage.
The new technology opens up significant prospects for the oil industry. It provides maximum effect at minimal cost, making production economically profitable even from difficult deposits. The development has already received international recognition – the research results were published in the journal Molecular Liquids
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: neftegaz.ru
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