Petroleum & Petrochemical Engineering Journal (PPEJ)

ISSN: 2578-4846

Research Article

An Application of Polymer Nanocomposites Based On Carboxymethylcellulose along with Aluminium (Al) and Copper (Cu) Nanoparticles for Increasing Oil Production

Authors: Kamensky Igor P, Al-Obaidi Sudad H* and Khalaf Falah H

DOI: 10.23880/ppej-16000383

Abstract

As an agent for displacing residual and hard-to-recover oil reserves, polymer nanocomposites based on sodium salts of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and aluminium (Al) and copper (Cu) nanoparticles were investigated. It has been shown that polymer nanocomposites are more effective as oil displacement agents than the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose itself. Increasing the viscosity of an oil displacement solution can be achieved by varying the concentrations of CMC and nanoparticles. This study thoroughly examined the dynamic viscosities of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polymer nanocomposites that contain CMC and metal nanoparticles (Al and Cu) across various concentrations. The results obtained are robust and reliable. It has been shown that, among polymer nanocomposites containing Al nanoparticles, there is a higher dynamic viscosity compared to its Cu nanoparticle counterpart at equivalent concentrations. This work proposes a simulation reservoir model to enhance oil recovery from hard-to-recovery reserves. Through this reservoir model simulation, the oil recovery factor was calculated using filler sand and oil extracted from a hydrocarbon field. The experimental data revealed the most effective concentration of CMC and nanoparticles for oil displacement. The results suggest that polymer nano composites composed of different metal nano powders have varying impacts on oil displacement efficiency. In this experiment, a composition consisting of Al nanoparticles with a size range of 50-70 manometers (nm) proved to be more successful as an oil displacement agent than a polymer nanocomposite made of Cu nanoparticles and CMC. At these concentrations and combinations, the highest oil recovery factors were achieved.

Keywords: Nanocomposites; Aluminium; Copper; Polymer Nanocomposites; Al Nanoparticles; Cu Nanoparticles; Oil Displacement

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