نانوتکنولوژی در مهندسی مخازن نفت

Emerging Petroleum-Oriented Nanotechnologies for Reservoir Engineering
Abstract
The paper describes experimental/analytical research aimed atmodification of petroleum technologies to “nanotechnologies”by accounting for molecular processes in nanocolloids ofnative petroleum fluids.Our results show that in course of traditional technologicaloperations, macroscopic properties of petroleum media(viscosity, density, pour point, etc.) may exhibit abruptchanges caused by currently uncontrolled microscopic phasetransitions in nanocolloids. In particular, our experimentsprovided phase diagrams of petroleum nanocolloids, whichshow critical parameters, highly unfavorable for industrialprocessing of petroleum. E.g., petroleum fluids maypractically solidify at RT after a short-time residence at thetemperature-defined phase boundary of ca. 28-35oC;nativecrudes of diverse origin exhibit sharp viscosity/densitypeaking at several composition-defined phase boundarieswhich are relevant to compatibility problems. Contrary towidespread assumptions, the current properties of petroleumnanocolloids (and, hence, the current properties of petroleumfluids) are not defined solely by current technologicalparameters. Of equal/decisive importance are the details of apreceding history of reservoir development.We conclude that proper recovery “nanotechnologies”should be designed and performed with an understanding ofimportance of the complex nanophase diagrams of petroleumfluids. Such technology should include specifically designedprocesses (employ specifically selected parameters) topurposely avoid/instigate particular phase transformations inpetroleum nanocolloids in order to improve (or, at least, not toruin) the practically important bulk properties of petroleum.With respect to immediate practical applications, it should beemphasized that the discussed phase diagrams contain only“the most obvious” nanophase boundaries, reflect ourcurrentknowledgeof structural transformations in petroleum andshould be subjected to further investigation.