Nanoparticles for Inhibition of Asphaltenes Damage: Adsorption Study and Displacement Test on Porous Media

Abstract

The deposition of asphaltenes is one of the most difficult problems to overcome in oil production and processing. The presence of asphaltenes in crude oil, and consequently, the adsorption and deposition of asphaltenes on the rock surfaces, affects the rock properties, such as porosity, permeability, and wettability. This study aims at analyzing the effect of the chemical nature of 12 types of nanoparticles on asphaltenes adsorption; hence, the delay or inhibition of deposition and precipitation of asphaltenes on porous media under flow conditions at reservoir pressure and temperature were investigated. The adsorption equilibrium of asphaltenes onto nanoparticles was effectively achieved within relatively short times (approximately 2 min), which indicates the promising nature of adsorbents for delaying the agglomeration and inhibiting the precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes. The adsorption equilibrium of asphaltenes for the nanoparticles was determined using a batch method in the range 150–2000 mg...