Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Natural Surfactant–Polymer Assembly for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract

A significant amount of oil (i.e., 60–70%) remains trapped in the reservoirs after the conventional primary and secondary methods of oil recovery. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is, therefore, necessary to recover the major fraction of unrecovered trapped oil from the reservoir to meet the present-day energy demands. The chemical method of EOR involves the injection of alkali, surfactant, polymer, and a combination of alkali–surfactant–polymer solution in the reservoir with the objective of achieving a reduction in interfacial tension and matching the mobility between oil and water for more recovery of oil. The success of this method depends on the effective synergy between the chemical additives.