USING NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR CO2-FOAMS STABILIZATION FOR APPLICATION IN ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

CO2 foams are able to improve oil recovery by blocking high permeable channels and mobility control which are the main challenges of conventional CO2 flooding. Because of the specific properties of CO2, CO2 foams are less stable than N2 foams. Therefore, introducing stabilizing agents for application in harsh reservoir conditions is highly crucial. Some chemicals such as different surfactants and polymers have been proposed for enhancing the stability of CO2 foams, but they lose their performance at elevated temperatures, pressures, and salinities. Many researchers have proposed using nanoparticles as CO2-foams stabilizers since their thermal and mechanical stability make them better stabilizers than polymers and surfactants, and they can resist high pressures, temperatures, salinities, and shear of reservoir conditions. In this study, a review is done on the most recent studies performed for investigating the performance of various types of nanoparticles for CO2-foams stabilization at different environmental conditions. The main mechanisms involved, the most important stability tests for nanoparticles and CO2 foams, and comparison between nanoparticles and other stabilizing agents are included and explained in this review. Finally, one of the most important parameters that can control and limit the use of nanoparticles-stabilized CO2 foams for enhanced oil recovery process, i.e., transport of nanoparticles in porous media, is discussed in detail.