232
R. M. Jadhav and J. S. Sangwai
1 Introduction
Through the advent of nanotechnology at the turn of the century, nanomaterials have
invariably become a part of our growing technology. Nanomaterials, especially due
to their sizes are preferable over conventional materials for identical applications.
The scope for development and the range of wide applicability makes nanotechnology suitable for a vast expanse of operations. Their use as catalysts has been duly
appreciated in many areas of expertise. Industrial applications have also recognized
the benefits of nanomaterials and have employed them for different purposes. Nanomaterials, for most of their part, have found generous use in the field of energy production. Worldwide energy generation processes (conventional and unconventional)
use nanomaterials in some way or the other. This involvement of nanomaterials in
the energy sector has been termed as nano-energy which is regarding the role of
nanomaterials in harnessing energy from resources (Menéndez-Manjón et al. 2011).
When contemplating energy production it gives us a perspective of how abundantly we are dependent on non-renewable sources of energy. An ample amount
of energy around the world is generated through the use of fossil fuels. The needs
of power generation and fuel for transportation are only fulfilled through petroleum
derivatives which makes the majority of the energy sector dedicated to the oil and gas
industry. As such, the scene of economical energy has seen a shift due to the depletion of the worldwide oil and gas reserves. The existence and use of other renewable
sources such as hydropower and solar energy to meet the global energy requirements
will take a considerable amount of time due to limited accessibility. These situations
have put the global energy scenario in a perilous situation. The majority of the oil
reservoirs are facing depletion of light crude oil. Crude oil sitting at the bottom of the
reservoirs is either void of the driving force or is relatively heavy. Also, the depletion of conventional oil and gas reservoirs has drawn the attention to produce heavy
and extra-heavy oil from the unconventional reservoirs. The inherent properties such
as viscosity and density of heavy oils make it difficult to extract them for further
operations. Several enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes have been employed to
produce the oil deep down in the reservoirs. The emergence of nanotechnology has
attracted the necessity to use nanomaterials in the production of heavy crude oil.
Nanomaterials are a broad classification of constituents whose range lies across
the nanoscale (1–100 nm). These materials have numerous properties that are
favourable for different kinds of applications. Nanomaterials can be used to enhance
the attributes of other materials or to imbue them with new ones. Their main merit lies
in the fact that the nature of their particle sizes makes them more efficient and effective in facilitating processes that would otherwise need a conventional material of
larger dimensions. This chapter gives an overview of the properties of nanomaterials
and their applications in the field of heavy oil recovery.
R. M. Jadhav and J. S. Sangwai
1 Introduction
Through the advent of nanotechnology at the turn of the century, nanomaterials have
invariably become a part of our growing technology. Nanomaterials, especially due
to their sizes are preferable over conventional materials for identical applications.
The scope for development and the range of wide applicability makes nanotechnology suitable for a vast expanse of operations. Their use as catalysts has been duly
appreciated in many areas of expertise. Industrial applications have also recognized
the benefits of nanomaterials and have employed them for different purposes. Nanomaterials, for most of their part, have found generous use in the field of energy production. Worldwide energy generation processes (conventional and unconventional)
use nanomaterials in some way or the other. This involvement of nanomaterials in
the energy sector has been termed as nano-energy which is regarding the role of
nanomaterials in harnessing energy from resources (Menéndez-Manjón et al. 2011).
When contemplating energy production it gives us a perspective of how abundantly we are dependent on non-renewable sources of energy. An ample amount
of energy around the world is generated through the use of fossil fuels. The needs
of power generation and fuel for transportation are only fulfilled through petroleum
derivatives which makes the majority of the energy sector dedicated to the oil and gas
industry. As such, the scene of economical energy has seen a shift due to the depletion of the worldwide oil and gas reserves. The existence and use of other renewable
sources such as hydropower and solar energy to meet the global energy requirements
will take a considerable amount of time due to limited accessibility. These situations
have put the global energy scenario in a perilous situation. The majority of the oil
reservoirs are facing depletion of light crude oil. Crude oil sitting at the bottom of the
reservoirs is either void of the driving force or is relatively heavy. Also, the depletion of conventional oil and gas reservoirs has drawn the attention to produce heavy
and extra-heavy oil from the unconventional reservoirs. The inherent properties such
as viscosity and density of heavy oils make it difficult to extract them for further
operations. Several enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes have been employed to
produce the oil deep down in the reservoirs. The emergence of nanotechnology has
attracted the necessity to use nanomaterials in the production of heavy crude oil.
Nanomaterials are a broad classification of constituents whose range lies across
the nanoscale (1–100 nm). These materials have numerous properties that are
favourable for different kinds of applications. Nanomaterials can be used to enhance
the attributes of other materials or to imbue them with new ones. Their main merit lies
in the fact that the nature of their particle sizes makes them more efficient and effective in facilitating processes that would otherwise need a conventional material of
larger dimensions. This chapter gives an overview of the properties of nanomaterials
and their applications in the field of heavy oil recovery.