Paper: NANOPARTICLE DISPERSIONS AND DISJOINING PRESSURE PROVIDE A NEW MECHANISM FOR PARAFFIN REMOVAL, IMPROVED CRUDE OIL RECOVERY, AND SWD INJECTIVITY IMPROVEMENT

A new surface energy mechanism, based on recent joint industry-university research using nanoparticle dispersions (NPD) is now available to the oil and gas industry, and is being laboratory and field tested for improving stimulation fluid recovery, remediating wellbore damage issues such as paraffin, waterblock and deep induced imbibition, as well as for enhancing the recovery of oil, gas and water following their application by a variety of intervention methods. Also being readied for implementation, is the use of NPDs to provide increased hydrocarbon production
and injection efficiency from waterflooding and other improved hydrocarbon recovery operations. Increasing injectivity into saltwater disposal wells (SWD) has been accomplished in beta test field trials. Graphic experimental demonstrations of these mechanisms will be shown and discussed, with emphasis on their current and potential field treatment applications, and with comparisons to another successfully utilized additive technology.