Publication detail

Nanofluid enhanced oil recovery using induced ZnO nanocrystals by electromagnetic energy: Viscosity increment

Alnarabiji, M.S. Yahya, N. Nadeem, S. Adil, M. Baig, M.K. Ghanem, O.B. Azizi, K. Ahmed, S. Maulianda, B. Klemeš, J.J. Elraies, K.A.

English title

Nanofluid enhanced oil recovery using induced ZnO nanocrystals by electromagnetic energy: Viscosity increment

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

en

Original abstract

Extracting the trapped oil in the pores and channels of rock reservoirs, after secondary recovery, using traditional enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques is still a challenging task. Nano-materials offer novel pathways to address these unsolved challenges as EOR agents due to their unique characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the novel use of zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO-NCs) in EOR and, investigate the influence of the combination of ZnO-NCs with EM energy irradiation on the recovery efficiency. For this purpose, different nanofluid concentrations and flow rates, as well as brine salinity was injected into the porous medium, in the absence of EM energy, to obtain the optimum experimental conditions with the highest recovery efficiency. The injected nanofluid in the porous medium, under the optimum conditions, was subjected to EM energy. The Zinc oxide nanofluid (ZnO-NF) showed a significant rise in recovery efficiency in the absence of EM energy by 50% ROIP due to the self-assembling of the ZnO-NCs which resulted in an increment in the local viscosity of the nanofluid at the water–oil interface. This study proved the capability of EM energy to enhance the viscosity of the injected ZnO-NF in the porous medium, which consequently increased the recovery efficiency by 23.3% ROIP through the electrorheological effect of the activated dielectric ZnO-NCs.

English abstract

Extracting the trapped oil in the pores and channels of rock reservoirs, after secondary recovery, using traditional enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques is still a challenging task. Nano-materials offer novel pathways to address these unsolved challenges as EOR agents due to their unique characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the novel use of zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO-NCs) in EOR and, investigate the influence of the combination of ZnO-NCs with EM energy irradiation on the recovery efficiency. For this purpose, different nanofluid concentrations and flow rates, as well as brine salinity was injected into the porous medium, in the absence of EM energy, to obtain the optimum experimental conditions with the highest recovery efficiency. The injected nanofluid in the porous medium, under the optimum conditions, was subjected to EM energy. The Zinc oxide nanofluid (ZnO-NF) showed a significant rise in recovery efficiency in the absence of EM energy by 50% ROIP due to the self-assembling of the ZnO-NCs which resulted in an increment in the local viscosity of the nanofluid at the water–oil interface. This study proved the capability of EM energy to enhance the viscosity of the injected ZnO-NF in the porous medium, which consequently increased the recovery efficiency by 23.3% ROIP through the electrorheological effect of the activated dielectric ZnO-NCs.

Keywords in English

Dielectric properties; Local viscosity increment; pH durability; Recovery mechanism; Waterflooding experiment; Electromagnetic waves; Energy efficiency; II-VI semiconductors; Nanocrystals; Nanofluidics; Oil well flooding; Porous materials; Recovery; Viscosity; Well flooding; Zinc oxide; Electrorheological effect; Enhanced oil recovery; Experimental conditions; Local viscosity increment; Recovery efficiency; Zinc oxide nanocrystals; Enhanced recovery

Released

01.12.2018

Publisher

Elsevier Ltd

ISSN

0016-2361

Volume

233

Number

233

Pages from–to

632–643

Pages count

12

BIBTEX


@article{BUT151530,
  author="Jiří {Klemeš},
  title="Nanofluid enhanced oil recovery using induced ZnO nanocrystals by electromagnetic energy: Viscosity increment",
  year="2018",
  volume="233",
  number="233",
  month="December",
  pages="632--643",
  publisher="Elsevier Ltd",
  issn="0016-2361"
}