The petroleum industry has been an ever-growing industry. New technologies are always being introduced to encompass the challenges that are encountered. Nanomaterials are being included in these technologies to improve the operation of different processes. Their distinctive physical and chemical characteristics encourage their use in different sectors such as the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the oil and gas industry. In this chapter, the nanomaterials that are utilized in the oil and gas industries are highlighted. Their implementation in various applications is also provided. These applications include hydrocarbon exploration, well drilling and completion, production operations, enhanced oil recovery mechanisms, transportation, and refining operations. There is also a discussion about existing problems and possibilities for future uses.
TopIntroduction
Over the years, the energy demand has increased because of growth in population and limitations in fossil fuels. This encouraged researchers to seek new ways of providing energy under more economical conditions. In the oil and gas industry, the studies focused on all its different sectors: upstream, midstream, and downstream. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the main oil and gas sectors. The main objective of these studies is to improve the hydrocarbon extraction, transportation, and refining processes (Khalil et al., 2017). As a result, new technologies were invented to match the needs of the industry such as drilling extended reach wells to cover an additional surface area in the hydrocarbon reservoir (Bou Hamdan et al., 2015); Utilizing enhanced oil recovery methods to improve the recovery factors (Agista et al., 2018); Hydraulically fracturing troublesome or low permeability reservoirs to produce the trapped hydrocarbons within the micro- or nano-pores of the rock (Bou-Hamdan, 2020). In addition to that, new approaches attempt to make use of nanotechnology to optimize different processes within this industry (Hassani et al., 2020; Ko & Huh, 2019).
Figure 1. Schematic representation of the oil and gas industry operations
The discovery of nanomaterials encouraged engineers and researchers to vastly study their properties and use them in manufacturing unique tools. These materials are characterized by their very small size which ranges between 1 – 100 nanometers. Due to their nanosized dimensions, the chemical and physical properties of these materials behave differently than the larger size. Many properties are altered, including their magnetic characteristics, thermal behavior, internal pressure, and others (B. H. Kim et al., 2014; Kong & Ohadi, 2010). They were incorporated in different fields including, but not limited to, medical applications, aerospace, photography, electronics, and petroleum (Mout et al., 2012; Otsuka et al., 2012; Shen et al., 2014; S. Xu et al., 2015; Yadav et al., 2015; You et al., 2013).
Nanotechnology also found its way into the oil and gas industry. Many hydrocarbon reservoirs pose a great challenge to produce and henceforth require more advanced methods. Nanoparticles were utilized in upstream sectors such as seismic exploration, drilling systems, production, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It was observed that applying nanotechnology in the upstream greatly improved the capacity of extracted hydrocarbons. This benefit was also observed in unconventional reservoirs, which are harder to produce than conventional ones (Yekeen et al., 2019). Furthermore, nanomaterials were also used in midstream and downstream sectors such as transportation and storage of hydrocarbons, and other refining and processing applications. These applications will be covered later in this chapter.
Nanomaterials show a promising future in different applications because of their exceptional chemical and physical characteristics. Therefore, the goal of this chapter is to highlight the different uses and contributions of nanotechnology in the petroleum industry. The next section covers the relevant types of nanomaterials. It is then followed by another section that covers the different applications of nanotechnology in the petroleum industry, in all the three main sectors: upstream, midstream, and downstream. The fourth section gives a brief discussion on the challenges that this technology might face before being fully utilized in real field projects. The last section is the conclusion where it summarizes the main takeaway from this chapter.
TopBackground
Significant attempts have been made to synthesize nanomaterials with precise control over their shape, size, and other properties. Nanoparticles may be manufactured using techniques such as top-down and bottom-up methods as shown in Figure 2. The top-down synthesis technique involves breaking down large particles into smaller pieces using different physical or chemical processes (Mittal et al., 2013). In the bottom-up technique, smaller nanoparticles are mixed to produce the required nanomaterial using either biological or chemical processes (Thakkar et al., 2010). The petroleum sector uses a wide range of nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials, metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, and nanocomposites (Maity et al., 2010).
Figure 2. Schematic representation of the formation of nanoparticles