Experimental Assessment of Guar Gum and Silicon Oxide Nanoparticle Hybrid for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract : This study investigated the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential of hybrid formulations comprising guar gum polymer and silicon oxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles. The research aimed to address the limitations of using only polymer (Guar gum) as EOR agent, by exploring the synergistic effects of guar gum and SiO₂ nanoparticles in improving oil recovery efficiency. The study involved core flooding experiments using Niger-Delta sandstone samples with different concentrations of guar gum and SiO₂ nanoparticles in both low-salinity (30,000 ppm) and relatively high-salinity (60,000 ppm). The results showed that the guar gum-SiO₂ nanocomposite formulations significantly outperformed the individual components in terms of oil recovery. The rheological analysis indicated that the inclusion of SiO₂ nanoparticles improved the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of the hybrid fluids, enhancing their mobility control capabilities. Core flooding experiments demonstrated that the guar gum-SiO₂ nanocomposite formulations significantly outperformed the individual components, with the cumulative oil recovery rates reaching up to 83% in the low salinity condition of 30,000ppm and due to increase in salinity of 60,000ppm reduced recovery percentage of 79%. The study revealed that hybrid nanocomposites effectively mitigated permeability damage, a prevalent challenge associated with the use of polymers as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agents. The incorporation of SiO₂ nanoparticles played a crucial role in preserving permeability by preventing the plugging of pore spaces, thereby enabling improved fluid flow and oil displacement.