APPLICATIONS, NANOTOXICITY, ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY: A REVIEW

Abstract

In the present review, applications of nanotechnology are employed to amplify the tendencies of growing traditional and cut-off resources of gas and to improve the process of drilling and production of oil and gas by designing it more accessible to separate oil and gas inside the reservoir. The impact of nanotechnology in many areas is more effective, cheaper, and more environment-friendly than what is presently accessible. A summary of various types of nanomaterials used together with a deep investigation of their compliance in advancing the objective factors is widely described. This paper reviews nanotechnology applications in the various parts of the oil patch such as exploration, production, EOR, wettability alteration, refinery processes, and drilling operations including drilling tools, drilling fluids, and cement. The impacts of numerous nanoparticles in drilling fluids and enhanced oil recovery has been explored. This paper gives a notified analysis of the improvements of nanotechnology in exploration as well as production. Moreover, the toxic effects of various nanoparticles and their environmental aspects have been observed and studied. The oil and gas industry can be made greener by nanotechnology. Finally, an outlook on the recent challenges and a few predictions for future applications is also underlined.