Foam Stabilization Using Engineered Nanomaterials

High energy demands leads to additional production of crude oil. Among water flooding, chemical flooding, microbial flooding and foam flooding, foam flooding has the greatest potential in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. This is due to its potential to penetrate in highly permeable layer and thereby driving the fluid to lower permeable layer. But application of foam flooding possesses certain limitations in heterogeneous reservoir and to overcome this issue, the role of nanoparticles (NPs) was explored. Therefore, this chapter delves into the utilization of nanomaterials for foam stabilization, exploring their role in enhancing the stability of nanofluids. The application of NPs promotes the improved flow behavior of foam within porous media and thereby increases oil recovery. The study investigates the potential applications of these stabilized nanofluids in the oilfield industry, focusing on their effectiveness in various processes such as enhanced oil recovery and well stimulation. The role of nanomaterials, particularly silica, has been identified to strengthen the foam lamellae and improve the displacement potential of the foams in porous media. NPs also help in stabilization of CO₂ foams and silica NPs has the ability to form tight, coherent particle shell at fluid-fluid interface. The chapter explores the possible measure to control CO₂mobility during EOR studies. As the synergy of silica NPs and CO₂ foams offers exceptionally stable CO₂ foams, but with reduced foam mobility. Thus, inclusion of NPs tends to improve sweep efficiency during CO₂ injection. Using experimental studies, this chapter further emphasizes the significance of stable foams in oilfield applications, the research sheds light on the promising outcomes achieved through the integration of nanomaterials in adverse field conditions. The chapter also highlights the application of surface modified silica NPs for improved mobility control as the foams are much stronger, highly stable and improved foaming tendency with a finer bubble structure. The chapter also covers application of binary NPs in enhancing foam stability even at elevated temperature.