Nanotechnology applied to the inhibition and remediation of formation damage by fines migration and deposition: A comprehensive review

• Published in: Journal of petroleum science & engineering Vol. 216; p. 110767
• Main Authors: Fuentes, Juan F., Montes, Daniel, Lucas, Elizabete F., Montes-Páez, Erik G., Szklo, Alexandre, Guerrero-Martin, Camilo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Fines migration/deposition; Formation damage; Formation damage remediation/inhibition; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Zeta potential; Formation damage remediation/inhibition; Nanoparticles; Formation damage; Fines migration/deposition; Zeta potential; Nanotechnology
• ISSN: 0920-4105; 1873-4715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110767

Formation damage is a problem that occurs in several scenarios where the permeability and productivity of a reservoir are negatively affected, bringing high economic losses and many operational problems, including shortening the productive life of the well. Fines are mobile particles of the porous media that are easily detached from the pore cavities, reducing the permeability of the reservoir and generating formation damage. Several mechanisms influence this phenomenon, such as the zeta potential of the fines, electrostatic forces, pH and salinity, which are difficult to avoid during production operations. Hence, conventional remediation and inhibition may not be effective to control fines’ migration/deposition. Nanotechnology has been widely implemented for different applications in the oil and gas industry including fines migration control. Nanoparticles/nanofluids inhibit this migration through various mechanisms, among the most important being alteration of the electrostatic charges on the surface of the rock and fines. The present literature review presents an overview on the phenomena underlying fines migration/deposition and considers the application of nanotechnology to inhibit this type of formation damage. In this regard, implementation and performance of nanoparticles/nanofluids are addressed, from the basic phenomenological perspective to their experimental evaluation, for application in improved oil recovery (IOR), low salinity water (LSW) injection, and hydraulic fracturing. •The phenomena related to formation damage produced by fines migration/deposition was accounted.•An overview is provided on the conventional methods used for the control of fines migration/deposition.•Nanotechnology implementation for the control of fines migration is explored through a comprehensive review.•The mechanisms beneath the nanoparticles-rock-fines interactions are explained relying on the scientific literature.•Applications of nanoparticles/nanofluids in IOR and hydraulic fracturing for the inhibition of fines migration are reported.