Nanotechnology is being explored in EOR to improve oil recovery by altering reservoir properties. Some studies suggest that nanoparticles can help with wettability alteration and reducing oil viscosity. But how effective is this in real field applications? Has anyone come across successful case studies?

Dear Mayowa Oyewole, the following review gives examples of practical applications of NP-EOR. My Regards

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124669

Appreciate you sharing this, Abdelkader BOUAZIZ . The review looks really insightful—I’ll take a deeper look. Have you come across any real-world field applications where NP-EOR has shown long-term success? Curious to see how these lab findings translate to actual reservoirs.

No thanks, EOR was the subject of my Magister Degree at the Algerian Institute of Petroleum, ended by june 2001. I prepared PHPAAm and did the displacement test with good results. At that time nanotechnology was at their very beginning. I am not really involved at that area now any more, but from time to time I came across some new publications. Actually what really seem of a future importance is the use of hybrid nanotechnology, Nanofluids based on PHPAAm. Most of drawbacks are bypassed with such systems. According to my past knowledge, Daqing field in China is the most used to test new EOR technologies. Best of luck

Nanotechnology is definitely an emerging trend for EOR. I think the major challenge now is to develop 3D models to better study fluid-structures interactions. Also, microfluidics is a valuable tool that enables flow and pattern control. You can read about the role of microfluidics for EOR studies in the following review: https://www.elveflow.com/microfluidic-reviews/microfluidics-for-enhanced-oil-recovery-studies/