Mona Kharazi

By Mona Kharazi and Javad Saien

Critical challenges have forced the oil industry to improve chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) processes using more effective materials. In this regard, ionic liquid-based surfactants (IL-based surfactants) with noteworthy features such as good interfacial activity, recyclability, environmentally friendliness, and stability at high temperatures and salinity can be considered as a significant option. While IL-based surfactants have been of interest in various fields, their applications in CEOR have not been systematically reviewed. In this frame, this chapter overviews the performance of IL-based surfactants in different portions of oil production. For this purpose, a brief explanation of the characteristics of the IL-based surfactants and their applicability in CEOR is first provided. Then, the performance of the IL-based surfactants in surfactant flooding, micellar flooding, and wettability alteration are surveyed in detail. Also, the activity of IL-based surfactants in all three regions has been monitored with the effect of the chemical structure, as well as comparing the performance of different types of IL-based surfactants. Relevantly, a comparison with conventional surfactants is also included. The crucial challenges and possible directions for the use of IL-based surfactants and the conclusions are summarized in the final section.

Part of the book: Surfactants