Emerging Nanotech Applications in the Oil Industry

With the introduction of nanotechnology, energy industries envisage a potential revolutionary change in the field of exploration, development and production. Research by universities into such areas as nanosensors, nanomarkers and nanobots to provide valuable data regarding the reservoir are of great focus due to their large potential return on investment, but have yet to yield substantive products. By contrast, efforts into drilling applications of nanotechnology such as drilling fluids are less known. Nanotechnology can revolutionize the additive properties by tuning particle characteristics to meet certain environmental, operational and technical requirements. Nano-technology produces nanomaterials that are ultra-fines in nature, usually smaller than ordinary micro particles and thus has very high specific surface area with enormous area of interactions. Recent research has indicated that nanomaterials have unique properties for a broad range of applications in the field of oilfield exploration and drilling , where fluid loss control, borehole stability, cementing quality of a well, remediation of damaged reservoirs, hydrocarbon recovery efficiency, oilfield wastewater treatment, high-temperature tolerance and viscosity modification are of interest. This paper presents an extensive literature review of assessing the applications of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in the field of oilfield exploration and drilling, investigating the existing problems in the application of nanomaterials in oilfield exploration and drilling , and evaluating the potential technical and economic benefits that nanotechnology and nanomaterials might provide to petroleum development and production. This paper will also discuss results from projects which utilize carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanosilica and other nanochemistries to achieve and enhance the performance of drilling fluids.