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Nanotechnology Applications in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, IPTC 2012:International Petroleum Technology Conference, Feb 2012, cp-280-00258
Abstract
The oil and gas industry is facing difficult challenges as it tries to supply the increasing energy demands of a growing<br>population. Conventional resources and exploration and production techniques might not be sufficient to attend to this<br>demand. Nanotechnology can offer some solutions to these challenges. Nanotechnology has had an enormous impact in almost<br>every industry, from consumer electronics to healthcare and telecommunications, but not in oil and gas exploration and<br>production. Although nano-sized catalysts have been used in refining and petrochemical processes for many years, the use of<br>nanomaterials and nanotechniques has only recently entered the upstream domain. The largest impact within the upstream<br>business is expected in subsurface applications, for instance contrast agents for advanced exploration and surveillance, novel<br>fluids for enhanced oil recovery, and better analytical techniques for the characterization of oil and rock interactions. This<br>paper will showcase some of the applications of nanotechnology to the exploration and production business, with particular<br>emphasis on the needs to scale up the technologies from bench-top to reservoir size.