Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Silica nanofluid in low salinity seawater containing surfactant and polymer: Oil recovery efficiency, wettability alteration and adsorption studies
    (01-04-2022)
    Behera, Uma Sankar
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    Production of crude oil from a matured oil reservoir is challenging due to the low recovery factor. Hybrid methods have demonstrated potential in oil recovery from the matured crude oil reservoir. In recent years, the low salinity water with chemicals (viz., surfactant, polymer) and nanoparticles have brought the attention of the researchers due to their ability in altering the interfacial properties of the rock-oil-water systems favorable for crude oil recovery. The current interest by industries in injection fluid (i.e., low salinity water injection) has prompted the invention of a hybrid oil recovery agent for matured crude oil reservoirs. In the current study, a novel silica-based hybrid nanofluids (NFs) of variable silica nanoparticles (NPs) concentration in low salinity seawater with anionic surfactant (AOT: dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate) and polymer (PVP–K30: polyvinylpyrrolidone) (sometimes referred to as SMART LowSal) are used as an injection fluid in a sand-pack reactor. Oil recovery from oil saturated sand-pack reactor is observed to enhance due to NFs (hybrid) injection after secondary recovery. The characteristic study of relative permeability curves discloses that sand surface was initially water-wet and converted to strongly water-wet in the presence of NFs. A nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) study reveals that adsorption of the chemical appeared on the sand surfaces, which could be the reason for wettability alteration, and thereby enhanced oil recovery. Similarly, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) of the sand samples before and after injection disclosed desorption of hydrocarbon from the sand surfaces after NFs injection. An additional 5–10% oil recovery is achieved after chemical flooding due to the injection of NFs. Adsorption isotherm study well agreed with the monolayer adsorption of surfactant on the sand surface.
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    Publication
    Interaction of Nanoparticles with Reservoir Fluids and Rocks for Enhanced Oil Recovery
    (01-01-2020)
    Behera, Uma Sankar
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    Nanotechnology is a common word used by academia which is referred to the applied nanoscience conducted at nanoscale (1–100 nm) for variety of industrial applications. Application of nanotechnology in various fields is increasing extensively resulting in an enormous amount of publications in the distinct field. Nanoparticles (NPs) possess unique properties due to their larger surface area which leads to prolong application in multifold. Researchers working in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) areas are trying to get rid of challenges faced by the oil and gas companies for crude oil production. This chapter, therefore, focuses on work carried out by the researchers on chemical and rarely on thermal, gas injection, and biological EOR methods using NPs. Chemical enhanced oil is recovery (CEOR) methods taken into consideration due to their popularity in oilfields than the other existing methods. Viscosity, interfacial tension (IFT), and wettability are the major influencing factors for EOR. The authors intend to make the reader understand the pore-scale mechanism behind the enhanced oil recovery in the presence of NPs. In the early stage of enhanced oil recovery, it is essential to understand the properties of various NPs. Literature review reveals that properties of NPs mostly depend on methods they are prepared. Hence, at the beginning of the chapter, the types of NPs, preparation, and their characterization are explained briefly with the application of various nanoparticles in CEOR. Limitation of NPs application in chemical EOR area is spelled out clearly with the recommendation at the end.
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    Publication
    Nanofluids of silica nanoparticles in low salinity water with surfactant and polymer (SMART LowSal) for enhanced oil recovery
    (15-11-2021)
    Behera, Uma Sankar
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    Spontaneous imbibition is a common phenomenon noticed in low permeability reservoirs during oil recovery. A considerably good amount of oil can be recovered by imbibition of efficient injection fluid for a prolonged time. Recent interest on the low salinity water injection (LSWI/LowSal) has prompted the development of SMART LowSal injection fluid for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this work, novel hybrid silica-based nanofluids (NFs) of varying concentrations of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) in diluted seawater with anionic surfactant (AOT) and polymer (PVP-K30) (referred to as SMART LowSal) were used as an imbibition agent. Interfacial tension (IFT) and contact angle measurements were carried to understand the impact of novel hybrid NFs on the IFT of oil-NFs system and wettability of rock. Berea sandstone cores were used to understand the efficacy of novel SMART LowSal injection fluid for EOR through spontaneous imbibition. The aged oil saturated cores were analyzed with X-ray computed tomography (CT) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX). Amott cell was used for imbibition test to evaluate the efficiency of the novel hybrid NFs for EOR. The oil recovery due novel hybrid NFs is found to be significantly higher than that of LSW and deionized water. The oil saturated core surfaces were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDAX before and after oil recovery to understand the surface properties of the cores. The novel hybrid NFs showed excellent potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This is one of the first study of its kind using surfactant, polymer and nanoparticles in diluted seawater to prepare NFs and its use for enhanced oil recovery. This study provides vital information about the hybrid NFs as an alternative injection fluid for EOR applications.