Industry's First "Smart" Nanofluid
NPD Solutions, from Frac Tech's new Nano-Fluid Series, is a stable colloidal particle dispersion that accelerates recovery of hydrocarbon and stimulation fluids from oil and gas reservoirs. Developed in a collaborative effort between Frac Tech R&D and the Illinois Institute of Technology, the nanoparticles in NPD Solutions utilize the mechanism of disjoining pressure by selfassembling into a wedge film once the nanoparticles encounter a discontinuous phase. This wedge film acts to separate formation fluids (oil, water, and gas) from the formation's surface, thereby recovering more fluids than previously possible.
Applications
- Stimulation Treatments
- Slickwater
- Cross linked fluids
- Energized fluids
- Acidizing Treatments
- Waterflood Applications
- Paraffin, Asphaltene, and Sludge Removal
- Formation Damage Removal
Microemulsion Comparison
In side-by-side comparison tests, NPD significantly outperformed a microemulsion additive in both speed and total recovery volume of San Andres Crude. Timed experiments using identical sets of coated sides illustrate the rapid oil release triggered by the NPD Solutions additive and the ability of the nanoparticles to stay in the treating fluid for long-term performance. Applied in similar volumes in laboratory tests, NPD Solutions outperformed the microemulsion additive by up to 20%.
Sludge Treatment
In addition to recovering fluids, NPD Solutions can also promote flow assurance in wells that normally favor unwanted emulsions or sludge. This effect is accelerated with heat and agitation such as that encountered when the treating fluid flows through porous rock or past downhole tools and pumps whose flow has been impaired by a sludge problem.