Enhancement of Heavy Oil Recovery by Nanoparticle/Microwave Application

Abstract

Around 70% of the total oil resources in the world are heavy. The primary heavy oil recovery is low due to the high viscosity and low mobility; hence, thermal enhanced oil recovery methods are widely applied to increase the oil production. In a conventional approach, oil is heated by different methods such as hot water or steam flooding and the heated oil is produced from a lower well by the aid of gravity. Different challenges such as high heat loss and low efficiency are faced in these conventional thermal recovery methods especially in deep reservoirs. Hence, novel, unconventional approaches such as electrical heating and electromagnetic heating methods are required to overcome these challenges. Achieving the optimum and cheap oil recovery by these methods is a critical task in petroleum engineering industry. To improve the performance of unconventional methods, nanotechnology can play an important role. Nano materials due to their high surface to volume ratio, more heat absorbance, and more conductivity can be used in a novel approach called nanomaterial/microwave thermal oil recovery to increase the oil production especially from deep, narrow formations.