Enhanced recovery

Nanoparticle Catalysts Upgrade Heavy Oil for Continuous-Steam-Injection Recovery

This paper presents an investigation into the effect of catalytic nanoparticles on the efficiency of recovery from continuous steam injection.

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Fig. 1—Oil-recovery curves for vapor injection with and without nanoparticles.
Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Medellin

The production of heavy and extraheavy oil is difficult because of its rheological properties caused by high asphaltene content. Upgrading these unconventional oils requires large amounts of energy, decreasing the production’s cost-effectiveness. Nanoparticulated catalysts have been shown to improve enhanced recovery of these oils by altering their physicochemical properties, including asphaltene content. This paper presents an investigation into the effect of catalytic nanoparticles on the efficiency of recovery from continuous steam injection.

Introduction

Several in-situ techniques have been used to enhance heavy- and extraheavy-oil recovery with the objective of upgrading the oil and improving its viscosity and mobility.

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