Application OF Nanotechnology

For Oil and Gas Industry

Prepared By :
Krutik Patel

Guided By :
Mrs.Sumita Panchal

INTRODUCTION
It is hard to imagine industrial operations or even private
activities without oil and gas anywhere in the world. Not only do
they supply energy for heat and power, they are also found in
everyday items, such as medicines, plastics, and clothing

With rising global energy demand, the oil and gas industry has a wide
range of challenges and opportunities.

There are numerous areas in which nanotechnology can contribute to

More-efficient
Less-expensive
More-environmentally sound technologies than those that are readily available.
Nanotechnology can make the industry considerably greener.

CHALLENGES TO CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The depletion of readily accessible resources has shifted industrys focus toward offshore
production.
Challenges caused by

Physical
Chemical
Thermal conditions of deeper horizons.
Inefficient oil recovery
To complying with safety issues
Accurately locate and characterize the hydrocarbons in place
Conventional electrical sensors and other measuring tools may fail or be unreliable in
hostile high temperature and high pressure conditions

The changes in operational depth, nature of subsurface geo-hazards, along with

increasingly strict environmental regulations require development of strong, stable and
environmental friendly material.
Kong, X. and M.M. Ohadi, 2010. Applications of micro and nano technologies in the oil and gas industry - overview of the recent progress. Proceedings
of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference, Nov. 1-4, Abu Dhabi, UAE, pp: 1-4. DOI: 10.2118/138241-MS

NANOPARTICLES
Micro and nano technologies have the potential to introduce revolutionary changes
in several areas of the oil and gas industry, such as exploration, drilling and
completion activities , production, enhanced oil recovery, refining and distribution.
Structured Nanoparticles are used in
EOR and Wettability Aletration
EOR- Al2O3, Zn, Mg, I, Zr, Ni, Ti and Si
Distilled water, brine, ethanol and diesel are used as the dispersing media for the
nanoparticles
Single-Walled-Carbon-Nanotube (SWNT)- Silica nanohybrid particles to deliver
catalytically active nanohybrid particles to the oil-water interface, where they would react
with and modify the oil properties to mobilize the oil in the reservoir

Polymer-coated Nanoparticles for Enhanced oil recovery and Wettability aletration

improved solubility and stability, greater stabilization of foams and emulsions, and more
facile transport through porous media
Yu, J, An, C, Mo, D, Liu, N, Lee, R. Study of Adsorption and Transportation Behavior of Nanoparticles in Three Different Porous Media, SPE, 2012;153337

 Oil-water confined channel

Addition of Nanoparticle pressure decreases with the increase of the displacement
NPs meet an oil drop, it will concentrate around the drop and forming a thin wedge
film between the surface and the oil drop
Increase in local concentration and subsequently an increase in disjoining pressure in
the film region
Oil drop can finally detach from the surface completely
Viscosity reduction
Fe2O3, NiO, CuO, ZnO, Al2O3, TiO2 and WO3 nanoparticles decrease the heavy oil
viscosity less than 50% in certain concentrations at different temperatures.
The catalytic reaction and heat properties may be the reason of this reduction
cracking catalyst

S. Afzal, Mohammad R. Ehsani, Mohammad Nikookar, A. R. Khodabandeh-Shahraki, E. Roayaei and Amir. H. Mohammadi. Rediction of heavy oil
viscosity using nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery process. ISBN: 978-1-63463-917-0

NANOFLUIDS
Are a class of fluids engineered by dispersing NPs (nanofibers, nanotubes, nanowires,
nanodrops) in base fluids & can provide enhanced stability against sedimentation along
with better thermal, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties
(MWCNT) and nano metal oxides (TiO2, Al2O3 and CuO)
Reduction in Filtrate
Reduction in Mud Cake Thickness
High yield point, plastic viscosity and gel strength
CuO-ZnO nanofluids

Increase thermal conductivity ability of the mud to cool faster

to prevent the degradation of and maintain the viscosit
Increase electrical conductivity
ZrO2 nanofluids wettability modifiers for carbonate rocks
Drilling fluids with nano size polymer additives filtrate with enhanced oil recovery
properties.

Amunullah ,Md.,Al-Tahini,AM.,Nanotechnology Its Significance in Smart Fluid-2009

Nanofluid possess enhanced

thermophysical properties
Thermal conductivity
Thermal diffusivity
Viscosity
Convective Heat Transfer
Coefficient

Abdelrahman Ibrahim El-Diasty .Applications of Nanotechnology in the Oil & Gas Industry: Latest Trends Worldwide & Future Challenges in Egypt.SPE,
The American University in Cairo (AUC) and Suez University, Egypt -2015

NANOSENSORS
Nanosensors are any biological, chemical, or surgical sensory points used to convey
information about nanoparticles to the macroscopic world.
Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC) Texas
Nanosensors for Hydrocarbon Detection in Oil-Field Rocks
Smart Nanosensors For Reservoir Temperature Measurements
Tin-bismuth alloy nanoparticles and silica nanoparticles
Main Problems of oil-gas carrying pipelines-performance and early detection
Continuous monitoring to prevent expensive and potentially dangerous leaks
Valuable pipeline management information and the ability to detect and locate
mechanical damage at an incipient stage,
An assessment of the overall pipeline operating condition
Quantum dots (QDs) are important class of nanomaterials.
Additional information of physical and chemical properties .
Metal clusters-high chemical stability and inert in organic nature
Cocuzza Matteo, Pirri Candido, Rocca Vera and Verga Francesca(2012). Current and Future Nanotech Applications in the Oil Industry. American Journal of
Applied Sciences 9 (6): 784-793, 2012 ISSN 1546-9239

NANOCOATINGS
Traditional insulation

environment to absorb moisture and

corrosive agent
Recovery and removal cost of insulation systems is very high

Nanocoating provides

Anti-wear coatings drilling parts increase durability in moving parts toughnes

Thermal coatings to lower deformation
Anti-corrosion applications for pipelines , rigs and other platforms , other
long-term structures to prevent rust and corrosion.
Anti-fouling for ships

Corrosion-resistant material solution could also be represented by nanometric thin film

and composites with nanostructured fillers.
Nano-layered corrosion inhibitors
Tungsten carbide and boron nitride Increase lifespan and efficiency of the
drilling systems.

Silicate particles being adhered to the nano structures of epoxy resins (Kumar et al., 201

 Nanocoatings in oil and gas commercialization

Tesla Nanocoatings carbon nanotube Teslan coating system for application on
petrochemical tanks and vessels owned by SK Global Chemical.
A coating using carbon nanotubes to conduct a current for evenly heating surface,
which could be used on pipelines to reduce gas hydrate formation or to de-ice the
blades on wind turbines .
Shell and BP
Russian government

Nanotechnology for Treatment Of Effluent

A tubular UF module equipped with poly- vinylidene fluoride membranes modified

by inorganic Nano-sized alumina particles was used to purify oily wastewater, and
the membrane water permeations of the UF process were analyzed.
Oil content was reduced to less than 1 mg/L, suspended solids content was reduced to
less than 1 mg/L, and the median diameters of solid particle were less than 2 m,
Javed Mohammed. Emerging Nanotech Applications in the Oil Industry . IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol. 2, Issue
11, 2015 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

CONCLUSION
Nanotechnology offers real potentials of changing the way we
look at oil and gas industry. It is poweful technology which
aids the development of products with futuristic performance.
Nanotechnology applications in the forms of structural nanomaterials, smart
nanofluids, advanced nanosensors and nanomembranes nanocoating imparts
new strength for exploration, drilling and completion activities ,
production, enhanced oil recovery, refining and distribution.

THANK YOU