Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review

Surfactants are extensively employed in the cold production of heavy oil. However, producing heavy oil emulsions using conventional surfactants poses a challenge to spontaneous demulsification, necessitating the addition of demulsifiers for oil-water separation. This inevitably increases the exploit...

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Main Authors: Qi Li, Lingfei Liu, Dejun Sun, Zhenghe Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2024-10-01
Series:Energy Geoscience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266675922400057X
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author Qi Li
Lingfei Liu
Dejun Sun
Zhenghe Xu
author_facet Qi Li
Lingfei Liu
Dejun Sun
Zhenghe Xu
author_sort Qi Li
collection DOAJ
description Surfactants are extensively employed in the cold production of heavy oil. However, producing heavy oil emulsions using conventional surfactants poses a challenge to spontaneous demulsification, necessitating the addition of demulsifiers for oil-water separation. This inevitably increases the exploitation cost and environmental pollution risk. Switchable surfactants have garnered much attention due to their dual capabilities of underground heavy oil emulsification and surface demulsification. This study focuses on the fundamental working principles and classification of novel switchable surfactants for oil displacement developed in recent years. It offers a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the applications of switchable surfactants in the fields of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), oil sand washing, and oil-water separation. Furthermore, it highlights the existing challenges and future development directions of switchable surfactants for heavy oil recovery.
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publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Energy Geoscience
spelling doaj-art-cc4e930213da48cfaa5efa96e891bcc42025-08-20T02:12:10ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Energy Geoscience2666-75922024-10-015410034210.1016/j.engeos.2024.100342Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A reviewQi Li0Lingfei Liu1Dejun Sun2Zhenghe Xu3Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tertiary Oil Recovery and Oilfield Chemistry, PetroChina Dagang Oilfield Company, Tianjin, 300280, PR ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, PR ChinaKey Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, PR China; Corresponding author.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, PR ChinaSurfactants are extensively employed in the cold production of heavy oil. However, producing heavy oil emulsions using conventional surfactants poses a challenge to spontaneous demulsification, necessitating the addition of demulsifiers for oil-water separation. This inevitably increases the exploitation cost and environmental pollution risk. Switchable surfactants have garnered much attention due to their dual capabilities of underground heavy oil emulsification and surface demulsification. This study focuses on the fundamental working principles and classification of novel switchable surfactants for oil displacement developed in recent years. It offers a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the applications of switchable surfactants in the fields of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), oil sand washing, and oil-water separation. Furthermore, it highlights the existing challenges and future development directions of switchable surfactants for heavy oil recovery.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266675922400057XHeavy oilSwitchable surfactantCold productionEmulsificationDemulsification
spellingShingle Qi Li
Lingfei Liu
Dejun Sun
Zhenghe Xu
Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
Energy Geoscience
Heavy oil
Switchable surfactant
Cold production
Emulsification
Demulsification
title Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
title_full Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
title_fullStr Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
title_full_unstemmed Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
title_short Recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production: A review
title_sort recent advances in switchable surfactants for heavy oil production a review
topic Heavy oil
Switchable surfactant
Cold production
Emulsification
Demulsification
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266675922400057X
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