Application of Nanoparticle Suspension in Enhanced Oil Recovery

This chapter aims to provide an overview of the research of nanoparticles which are used often in the form of nanofluids concerning their application in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Nanoparticles have been found that they can enhance surface flooding. The effect of nanoparticles in enhanced surfactant flooding has been discussed widely, and the following are some explanation of how surfactant can enhance oil recovery with the help of nanofluids. Nanotechnology has also been applied in emulsion flooding. H. Pei et al. conducted an experiment to study the effect of nanoparticles in emulsion flooding. Surfactant has been studied and applied in flooding for many years and a lot of papers have been published in this area. Cellulose nanocrystals have also been used in nano-assisted EOR experiments. B. Wei et al. regarded nanocrystals as a novel surface-active and “green” material in EOR. More theoretical works and mathematical models for nano-assisted EOR processes are needed to understand the fundamental mechanis.