Scientists from the Siberian Federal University have proposed an environmentally friendly technology to enhance oil recovery from hard-to-recover reservoirs. The development is based on a combination of xanthan gum, a natural biodegradable polymer, and nanoparticles. According to Vladimir Prigozhikh, a researcher at the Laboratory of Physical and Chemical Technologies for the Development of Hard-to-Recover Hydrocarbon Reserves, this composition can replace traditional synthetic solutions that persist in the environment for decades.
Global reserves of "light oil" have already been depleted, and traditional waterflooding allows the extraction of only 20-40% of reserves. Huge volumes of residual oil remain "locked" in the pores of the reservoir. We have shown that natural polymers in combination with nanoparticles can dramatically change the nature of displacement and bring it as close as possible to maximum efficiency. Specially prepared nanoparticles of various materials, sizes, and shapes were added to the displacing solution, and we studied how the resulting suspension affects oil recovery. The system with silicon oxide nanoparticles worked best, and the maximum displacement efficiency reached a record value of 96.8%
The head of the research, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Andrey Minakov, emphasized that the environmental friendliness of the new approach does not reduce, but, with proper modification, even enhances the efficiency of oil extraction. According to him, the introduction of such solutions can postpone or completely eliminate the need to develop new, environmentally vulnerable fields, including Arctic regions.