Simultaneous electromagnetic radiation and nanofluid injection and their interactions in EOR operations: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Increasing demands for fossil fuels make researchers and engineers use modern technologies to produce residual oil from conventional and unconventional heavy oil and extra heavy oil reservoirs. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation, one of the newest thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, can overcome the problems and inefficiencies of conventional oil recovery methods from these reservoirs. Using strong EM absorbents such as nanoparticles can improve the efficiency of this process. Therefore, an overview was conducted about simultaneous EM radiation and nanofluid injection and their interactions to improve oil production from reservoirs. The mechanisms governing EM heating, temperature distribution, and heat transfer in the oil reservoir were discussed. The potential of nanoparticles to use in EM heating processes was mentioned. Then, the effect of EM waves and nanofluid injection on the oil recovery factor, fluid–fluid and fluid-rock interaction, etc., were reviewed. Previous studies have shown that the simultaneous use of EM waves and nanoparticles can increased the oil recovery factor by up to 80%. This method can change the reservoir rock wettability from oil–wet to strongly water-wet. In some cases the contact angle of the oil drop decreased by more than 135°. The use of nanoparticles helps to absorb radiated energy and distribute the heat inside the reservoir. Heavy oil molecules are broken in this process and oil viscosity is reduced by 96%. Also, it found that using this method can upgrade and reduce the sulfur and asphaltene content of crude oil. Finally, the challenges and future prospects against the researchers to industrialize this method were investigated.