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5 Overview and Future Prospects
There are a number of areas in petroleum industry in which nanotechnology has
found its applications. These technologies are more efficient, more economical and
environmental-friendly than conventional methods and a number of researchers have
defined their future possibilities in a number of areas in the oil and gas industry itself.
(1) Improved polymers, binders for sand consolidation and other drilling composites critical to deep drilling under high temperature/pressure environments.
(2) Oil refining and petrochemicals technologies.
(3) New materials for anti-corrosive coatings for surface and subsurface facilities,
drilling equipments.
(4) Improvement of EOR and gas recovery through reservoir property modification
and improving drive fluid constituents for better sweeping efficiency.
(5) Improved nanofiltration for oil refining and waste management.
(6) Nano-based materials to enhance stability, strength and endurance for drilling
equipments, mechanical and movable parts.
(7) Improve nanosensors facilitating improvement of geo-exploration, improved
data gathering, recognition of dry holes and shallow hazards.
(8) New lightweight, abrasion proof rugged nanomaterials for transportation
vessels, offshore platforms.
6 Conclusion
The present chapter presented an overview of the nanotechnology intervention in the
oil and gas industry. The reviewed literature marks the progress in research made
by the materials in the nanodimensions and the mechanisms behind their applications. The oil and gas industries are facing a number of technology-based challenges
that has to be addressed with the use of new materials in both the upstream and
downstream sectors. Nanotechnology offers solution to many such problems which
are difficult by conventional approaches. A variety of nanotechniques, smart fluids,
NPs, nanoemulsions, nanocatalysts, nanosensors, nanomembranes and other nanosized materials have been developed and have been extensively used by oil and gas
industries. Besides, most of these nanomaterials have been tested in the laboratory
setups, and they are finding their uses in the oil and gas industry with time. There
are many innovations which are been improvised to field conditions. However, such
innovations when applied to the field could bring about a technological breakthrough
with benefits on both sides of the industry.
R. Sandeep et al.
5 Overview and Future Prospects
There are a number of areas in petroleum industry in which nanotechnology has
found its applications. These technologies are more efficient, more economical and
environmental-friendly than conventional methods and a number of researchers have
defined their future possibilities in a number of areas in the oil and gas industry itself.
(1) Improved polymers, binders for sand consolidation and other drilling composites critical to deep drilling under high temperature/pressure environments.
(2) Oil refining and petrochemicals technologies.
(3) New materials for anti-corrosive coatings for surface and subsurface facilities,
drilling equipments.
(4) Improvement of EOR and gas recovery through reservoir property modification
and improving drive fluid constituents for better sweeping efficiency.
(5) Improved nanofiltration for oil refining and waste management.
(6) Nano-based materials to enhance stability, strength and endurance for drilling
equipments, mechanical and movable parts.
(7) Improve nanosensors facilitating improvement of geo-exploration, improved
data gathering, recognition of dry holes and shallow hazards.
(8) New lightweight, abrasion proof rugged nanomaterials for transportation
vessels, offshore platforms.
6 Conclusion
The present chapter presented an overview of the nanotechnology intervention in the
oil and gas industry. The reviewed literature marks the progress in research made
by the materials in the nanodimensions and the mechanisms behind their applications. The oil and gas industries are facing a number of technology-based challenges
that has to be addressed with the use of new materials in both the upstream and
downstream sectors. Nanotechnology offers solution to many such problems which
are difficult by conventional approaches. A variety of nanotechniques, smart fluids,
NPs, nanoemulsions, nanocatalysts, nanosensors, nanomembranes and other nanosized materials have been developed and have been extensively used by oil and gas
industries. Besides, most of these nanomaterials have been tested in the laboratory
setups, and they are finding their uses in the oil and gas industry with time. There
are many innovations which are been improvised to field conditions. However, such
innovations when applied to the field could bring about a technological breakthrough
with benefits on both sides of the industry.