Study on the Dual Enhancement Effect of Nanoparticle–Surfactant Composite Systems on Oil Recovery Rates

TL;DR

A nanoparticle-surfactant system improves oil recovery by reducing tension and altering wettability, outperforming individual components.

Contribution

The study identifies a 3:2 nanoparticle-surfactant ratio that synergistically enhances oil recovery in low-permeability reservoirs.

Findings

The composite system achieves 71.5% oil recovery, surpassing individual nanoparticle and surfactant methods.

The system reduces oil-water interfacial tension to 0.005 mN/m and changes contact angle from 128° to 42°.

Synergistic mechanisms include wettability alteration, emulsion formation, and improved sweep efficiency.

Abstract

Nanoparticle–surfactant composite flooding systems significantly enhance oil recovery through synergistic effects. When the optimal ratio of SiO2 nanoparticles to nonionic surfactant alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (OP-10) in the composite system is 3:2, the oil–water interfacial tension (IFT) decreases to 0.005 mN/m, and the contact angle changes from the original 128° to 42°, achieving effective wettability alteration. Core displacement experiments demonstrate that the recovery rate using nanoparticles alone is 46.8%, and using surfactant alone is 52.3%, while the composite system achieves 71.5%, representing a 39.2 percentage point improvement over water flooding. The composite system operates through multiple mechanisms including interfacial tension reduction, wettability alteration, stable emulsion formation, and enhanced sweep efficiency. The wedging effect of nanoparticles at pore throats and the interfacial activity of surfactants form significant synergistic enhancement, providing a new technical pathway for efficient development of low-permeability reservoirs.

Figures