Electrochemical Potentials of Cobalt Oxide Nanofluid for Improved Oil Recovery with the Aid of Electromagnetic Field

Oil reservoir formation damage is a significant issue in secondary and tertiary oil recovery operations. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) approaches can address these issues while increasing production rates and resource recovery. However, challenges include chemical degradation, high chemical volumes, and high costs. Nanotechnologies can improve oil recovery by improving subsurface porous media and pore fluids, separating fluid phases, and introducing influencing coatings. Cobalt oxide-based materials have been extensively evaluated for their amphiphilic properties, thermal stability, and high reactivity, which can modify physicochemical properties and improve crude oil recovery. CoO nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectronic spectrometry, and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FSEM). Results showed that CoO nanofluid positively affects reservoir minerals with electromagnetic fields and improves oil recovery. It also improves thermal stability, promotes stable emulsion formation, decreases the interfacial tension (IFT) up to 15% for the light-crude-oil/water system at concentrations of 0.5 wt% nanofluid, and can improve thermal stability with respect to CoO in a wide range of temperatures, favouring the formation of stable emulsions.