Synergy of surfactant mixtures and Fe3O4 nanoparticles for Enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is a method to increase oil production by altering the reservoir's physiochemical interaction between fluids and rock minerals. Surfactants, as one of the components of EOR, have limitations such as low stability at high temperatures and salinity. Therefore, nanoparticles are a potential approach to solving this challenge. In this study, the surfactant mixture (anionic and amphoteric surfactant) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles are candidate nanofluids for increasing advanced drain oil. A mixture of 4% surfactant mixture and 0.01% Fe3O4 nanoparticles could give optimum results with an IFT value of 0.089 mN/m and form Winsor type III microemulsion. In addition, the performance of surfactant-Fe3O4 nanofluid was also observed based on coreflooding experiments. Coreflood test results showed that surfactant-Fe3O4 nanofluid increased the oil recovery factor more than surfactants alone. The total oil recovery obtained using a surfactant-Fe3O4 nanofluid reached 76.50% of OOIP. Therefore, the synergy of surfactants and Fe3O4 nanoparticles are promising approaches for EOR.

Automated summary

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) is a method that increases oil production by altering the interaction between fluids and rock minerals in the reservoir. Surfactants, which are part of EOR, have limitations at high temperatures and salinity. Nanoparticles, specifically Fe3O4, show potential in addressing these limitations. This study explores the use of a surfactant mixture and Fe3O4 nanoparticles as nanofluids to enhance oil recovery. Results show that a mixture of 4% surfactant and 0.01% Fe3O4 nanoparticles achieves optimal results, forming a Winsor type III microemulsion with an IFT value of 0.089 mN/m. Coreflooding experiments also demonstrate that the surfactant-Fe3O4 nanofluid improves oil recovery compared to surfactants alone, with a total oil recovery of 76.50% of OOIP. The synergy between surfactants and Fe3O4 nanoparticles holds promise for EOR applications.