Sustainable Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Polyfraction Nanoemulsions with Alternating Injection Strategies

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) can significantly contribute to sustainable energy by improving oil recovery efficiency, integrating renewable technologies, and reducing the environmental impact of extraction. This study builds on previous work involving polyfraction nanoemulsions by introducing more realistic experimental conditions using live crude oil and undiluted reservoir water. The base fluid, modified with nanoemulsion and polymer additives, was injected using an alternating strategy with varying concentrations. The most effective sequence involved reservoir water with 2 wt% nanoemulsion and 0.5 wt% polymer, followed by injections with 0.3% and 0.1% polymer. This method achieved a displacement efficiency of 68.2%, with oil recovery 21.2% higher than that obtained when using reservoir water with 0.2% of polymer with nanoemulsion. These results highlight the potential of polyfraction nanoemulsions to enhance EOR efficiency while supporting sustainable development goals.