Aim
Nanotechnology in Oil Recovery: Revolutionizing Industrial Applications introduces nano-enabled enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and production workflows. Learn how nanoparticles improve wettability, interfacial tension, mobility control, and reservoir monitoring, along with field constraints, safety, and scale-up concepts.
Program Objectives
- EOR Basics: primary/secondary/tertiary recovery concepts.
- Reservoir Physics: wettability, IFT, capillary pressure, permeability (intro).
- Nano Fluids: nanoparticle types and dispersion stability.
- Mechanisms: wettability alteration, IFT reduction, foam/emulsion stabilization.
- Transport: adsorption, retention, pore plugging risks.
- Testing: core flooding and lab evaluation workflows (overview).
- Field Deployment: compatibility, injection, monitoring concepts.
- Capstone: design a nano-EOR screening plan.
Program Structure
Module 1: Introduction to Oil Recovery and EOR
- Recovery stages and why oil remains in the reservoir.
- Conventional EOR: thermal, chemical, gas (overview).
- Where nanotechnology fits in modern EOR.
- Success metrics: incremental recovery, cost, risk.
Module 2: Reservoir and Fluid Fundamentals
- Rock–fluid interactions and wettability.
- Interfacial tension (IFT) and capillary trapping concepts.
- Mobility ratio and sweep efficiency basics.
- Salinity, temperature, and pressure constraints.
Module 3: Nanoparticles Used in Oil Recovery
- Silica, metal oxides, carbon-based nanoparticles (overview).
- Functionalization and surface chemistry concepts.
- Nanofluids: dispersion, stabilization, and shelf-life.
- Compatibility with brine, crude, surfactants, polymers.
Module 4: Nano-EOR Mechanisms
- Wettability alteration and contact angle concepts.
- IFT reduction and synergistic nano-surfactant systems (overview).
- Foam/emulsion stabilization for mobility control.
- Disjoining pressure and structural forces (intro).
Module 5: Transport, Retention, and Risks
- Nanoparticle transport in porous media.
- Adsorption, retention, and permeability impairment risks.
- Pore plugging and formation damage prevention concepts.
- Scale, corrosion, and compatibility checks.
Module 6: Laboratory Evaluation (Hands-On Workflow)
- Characterization: size, zeta, stability, rheology concepts.
- IFT and contact angle measurement workflows (overview).
- Core flooding: setup, injection strategy, and interpretation.
- Screening matrix: concentration, salinity, temperature.
Module 7: Field Deployment and Monitoring
- Pilot planning: well selection and injection design (overview).
- Operational constraints: mixing, filtration, pumps, logistics.
- Monitoring: production response, tracers, pressure, water cut.
- HSE basics: handling, disposal, environmental risk concepts.
Module 8: Industrial Case Studies and Future Trends
- Where nano-EOR shows promise and where it fails.
- Hybrid EOR systems: nano + polymer/surfactant/gas (overview).
- Reservoir sensing and nano-tracers (intro).
- Techno-economic thinking: scalability and cost drivers.
Final Project
- Design a nano-EOR screening plan for a sample reservoir.
- Deliverables: nanoparticle choice + mechanism hypothesis + lab test plan + risk controls.
- Submit: short technical proposal.
Participant Eligibility
- Students/professionals in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials, Nanotechnology
- EOR, production, and reservoir engineering trainees
- Basic fluid mechanics helpful
Program Outcomes
- Explain nano-EOR mechanisms and constraints.
- Select nanoparticles and design screening experiments.
- Interpret core flooding and wettability/IFT results.
- Create a pilot-ready nano-EOR proposal.
Program Deliverables
- e-LMS Access: notes, templates, sample datasets.
- Toolkit: screening matrix sheet, core flood checklist, risk checklist, proposal template.
- Assessment: certification after submission.
- e-Certification and e-Marksheet: digital credentials.
Future Career Prospects
- EOR Research Associate
- Reservoir Engineering Trainee
- Production Optimization Analyst
- Nanomaterials Engineer (Energy Sector)
Job Opportunities
- Oil & Gas Operators: EOR and production technology teams.
- Service Companies: chemical EOR and reservoir services.
- R&D Labs: energy materials and flow assurance research.
- Universities: petroleum engineering and nanotechnology research groups.
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