Experimental Assessment of Magnetic Nanofluid Injection in High-Salinity and Heavy-Crude-Saturated Sandstone: Mitigation of Formation Damage

Jimena Lizeth Gómez-Delgado, Nelson Gutierrez-Niño, Luis Felipe Carrillo-Moreno, Raúl Andres Martínez-López, Nicolás Santos-Santos and Enrique Mejía-Ospino ()
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Jimena Lizeth Gómez-Delgado: Grupo de Investigación en Tomografía (GIT), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia
Nelson Gutierrez-Niño: Laboratorio de Espectroscopia Atómica y Molecular (LEAM), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia
Luis Felipe Carrillo-Moreno: Grupo de Investigación en Tomografía (GIT), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia
Raúl Andres Martínez-López: Grupo de Investigación en Tomografía (GIT), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia
Nicolás Santos-Santos: Grupo de Investigación en Tomografía (GIT), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia
Enrique Mejía-Ospino: Grupo de Investigación en Tomografía (GIT), Universidad Industrial de Santander, 680002 Bucaramanga, Colombia

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The depletion of conventional oil reserves has intensified the search for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. Recently, nanoparticle research has focused on graphene oxide-based materials, revealing a critical challenge in their practical application. Laboratory investigations have consistently demonstrated that these nanoparticles have significant potential for formation damage, a critical limitation that substantially constrains their potential field implementation. This research addresses a critical challenge in EOR: developing magnetic graphene oxide nanoparticles (MGONs) that can traverse rock formations without causing formation damage. MGONs were synthesized and stabilized in formation brine with a high total dissolved solids (TDS) content with a xanthan gum polymer. Two coreflooding experiments were conducted on sandstone cores. The first experiment on high-permeability sandstone (843 mD) showed no formation damage; instead, permeability increased to 935 mD after MGON injection. Irreducible water saturation (S wirr ) and residual oil saturation (S or ) were 25.1% and 31.5%, respectively. The second experiment on lower-permeability rock (231.3 mD) evaluated nanoparticle retention. The results showed that 0.09511 mg of MGONs was adsorbed per gram of rock under dynamic conditions. Iron concentration in effluents stabilized after 3 pore volumes, indicating steady-state adsorption. The successful synthesis, stability in high-TDS brine, favorable interfacial properties, and positive effects observed in coreflooding experiments collectively highlight MGONs’ potential as a viable solution for enhancing oil recovery in challenging reservoirs, without causing formation damage.

Keywords: magnetic graphene oxide; formation damage; nanofluid; heavy crude oil; coreflooding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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