Wettability alteration and improved flow transport by engineered nanoparticles for petroleum application

The petroleum industry is challenged to unlock resources that are becoming difficult by conventional technologies. In order to extract the increasing amount of oil from mature field, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods become more and more important. Nanotechnology is believed to hold the key to innovative solutions for energy supply by introducing more economic, efficient and environmentally benign technologies to oil industry. The most recent surge of interest on nanotechnology applications in upstream oil industry is the functional nanoparticles enabled EOR. WINPA is a knowledge building project funded by the Research Council of Norway, AKER BP ASA, and Wintershall Norge AS, with the primary objective to establish a fundamental understanding of the physics of nanoparticles dispersed in confined space by means of multi-scale experimental and computational methodologies. The project has successfully fulfilled its objectives and achieved fruitful results. In experimental aspects, we have prepared core-shell structured microgels and Au-based Janus particles with tailored surface properties, which have promising applications for Nano-enabled enhanced oil recovery. We also developed an in-situ experimental method based on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to monitor the dynamic evolution process of micro/nano particles at solid/oil/water three-phase interface. Our results reveal the microscopic mechanism underlying the wettability alteration by nanoparticles. Theoretically, the project team has extended the previously developed small system method to size and shape effect on thermodynamic properties of nanoscale volume water. We have successfully established atomistic and molecular models for nanoparticle/water/oil molecules interactions and nanofluid transport through ultra-confined capillary. In summary, the project results provide industrial solution and guidelines for design and application of nanoparticles in EOR field and explore our knowledge on the microscopic mechanism of nanoparticles transport into ultra-fine structures, which is significant to the many applications, including nanofluidics, enhanced oil recovery, drug delivery, etc. The project has produced 10 peer-reviewed articles in the relevant physical chemistry journals, such as Langmuir, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Energy&Fuels, and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, and 1 popular science article in META:Magazine. In addition, 5 journal articles are on the way. The project results have been presented in international and national conferences and seminars for 9 times, including two invited talks given by the project leader at the 35th Workshop & Symposium IEA Collaborative Project on EOR and the 1st European Symposium on Nanofluids. Thanks to the success of WINPA project, the project team has been invited to Nanouptake ? EU COST Action plan, aiming to create a Europe-wide network to develop and foster the use of nanofluids and contribute to achieve the European Horizon 2020 Energy and Climate objectives.

The continuing increase in worldwide energy demand has motivated recent efforts of bringing nanotechnology into the oil and gas industry. One of futuristic applications of nanotechnology in petroleum engineering is the engineered nanoparticles for enhance d oil recovery (EOR). However, the understanding, prediction and optimization of nanoparticles for EOR require the knowledge of engineered nanoparticles in a harsh reservoir environment. Furthermore, bore holes are heterogeneous on all length scales, for example the surface roughness, pore size and deformations, which justify a multiscale approach. The proposed project aims to establish a fundamental understanding of the physics of nanoparticles dispersed in confined space by means of multiscale experimen tal and computational methodologies. Quantifying the effect of nanoparticle size, surface properties, and concentration on their interaction with rock and oil/water phase will broaden the scientific and technological base of nanoparticles for EOR. The est ablished structural-property relationship of nanoparticle and flow transport will provide the guidelines for the design and control of nanoparticles towards the applications in oil and gas industry. The research team behind the proposal belongs to NTNU Nanomechanical Lab (NML) and Department of Petroleum Engineering (IPT) at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at University of Houston, and industrial partners Det norske oljeselskap ASA and Wintershall Holding GmbH, brought together by a common interest in nanotechnology application for petroleum engineering. The total package of renewed thinking of nanoparticles in confined channel through fundamental understanding, modeling and experi mental investigation will lead to a novel solution in the form of nanoparticles enabled EOR.