Applied Nanotechnology for Fluids Flow Control Subsurface

Abstract This paper sums up recent laboratory research data, some of the field piloting results and innovation management experience associated with the emulsion system with nanoparticles (ESN) application for fluids flow control subsurface. For the ESN technology, it took six years of intense testing in various laboratories and oil and gas fields before the technology made it through to at least a local scale up level. At this stage, we want to share the results, although in a concise and limited form of the technical paper. The paper covers summary of the recent laboratory test results, lessons learned from the field and managerial experience of the ESN technology integration in international and national energy companies. Hence, for better reading experience the paper is divided into three parts correspondingly. In the first part of the paper, we discuss basics of the ESN technology, issues with the new technology integration in the petroleum and geosystems industry and its dynamics for the past sixty years. In the second part, paper presents the laboratory program to test ESN on stability and compatibility, as well as method to adapt technology to a target reservoir. This laboratory program has been developed with careful consideration of the real-life experience and thorough understanding of the industry’s specifics. Also, the program reflects our point of view that there are no similar reservoirs exist in the nature. As well as we consider the fact that funds given for laboratory tests are small, and the program execution timeframe is short. Thus, with the years of experience, the laboratory program has been honed to be easy-to-adapt and fast to execute for any target reservoir. In the third part, we provide information on the geo-physical conditions of reservoirs and geo-technical characteristics of wells where the ESN technology has been applied, as well as we share the lessons we learned. The field types that the ESN technology covered up to date vary by resources (from oil-gas fields to gas-condensate fields), the development stages, and the reservoir rock types (carbonates and sandstones). Also, the paper hints a fellow petroleum engineer to look at the ways to improve an approach to the new technology integration process from the standpoints of innovation management and marketing.