In the wake of the Shell International Nanotechnology Forum, held October 7 – 9 in Houston, that company’s chief scientist for materials, Sergio Kapusta, recently discussed both immediate prospects and on-going promise for using nano-based materials in petroleum industry exploration & production (E&P).

These possible applications – which in some instances literally boggle the mind –include catalysts that last longer and more easily regenerate; membranes that discriminate between molecules based on small size differences; and substances, which once introduced into a well head, “find” oil and then signal its location back to the surface.

While there are at least several definitions of nano technology, Kapusta offered that it was “the study and control of materials at the molecular level, in the size range of roughly one to 100 nm.”

Challenges will have to be overcome, though, before some of these developments move into commercial application. For example, the adherence of nano particles to a rock interface could allow a better sweep of oil in a reservoir. However, if attempted today, most of the particles would be lost between the injection point and the destination, as is often the case when working with surfactants.

Kapusta suggested one possible solution, taken from the world of medical research, would be to “encapsulate” the nano particles in a neutral substance that would inhibit their diffusion. Once the rock-face destination was reached, the “capsules” would open, releasing the nano materials.

Size and scale

Other, more general challenges to greater E&P use of nano technology include that specialists in the nanotech field are relatively unacquainted with basic parameters of the oil industry. “They may think that oil is found in lakes that lie under the surface of the earth,” Kapusta said.

Another challenge is the sheer scale of the oil industry. Nano applications found in electronics, medicine, and telecommunications typically involve minute quantities of a given material.

“These ‘boutique’ products seem right now to be prohibitively expensive at a large scale,” said Kapusta. “To inject nano materials in a water flush, you’re talking tons, not milligrams, of material.” He added that at large scale the materials also may act differently than they do in small quantities. For example, nanomaterials may agglomerate into larger chunks and lose their distinctive properties.

Finally, it’s unclear what the environmental impact of some nano materials might be.

The Shell International Nanotechnology Forum was conceived as a way of addressing at least some of these challenges, primarily by establishing communication between 30 of the world’s top experts in nano technology and 30 Shell professionals versed in either research & development or petroleum industry technology.

Establishing vocabulary

“It took a day to establish a common vocabulary,” said Kapusta. “After that there was a tremendous flow of information and insight between both communities. Following a few presentations, the question was put, ‘What do you want to talk about? If you want to talk about catalysis, go over there; if it’s subsurface, step to the rear’. These experts are eager to learn about possible practical applications.”

The two-day discussion resulted in a Top 10 list of ideas to be pursued, some immediately over the next year, and others over a five- or ten-year time frame. Moreover, Shell differentiates between applications that it will pursue as more or less proprietary technology, such as in the area of catalysis and enhanced oil recovery; others such as structural materials, coatings, and produced water solutions in which they’ll partner and be open; and fundamental technology in which they’ll collaborate freely, including with others in the oil & gas industry.

Finally, some of the prospective uses of nano technology already in view include the following:

· More effective catalysts that last longer and are more easily regenerated, e.g., in the conversion of natural gas to LNG or natural gas to methane;

· More effective treatment of difficult-to-handle deep-crude production byproducts such as asphaltenes;

· Coated materials that replace, for example, specialty steels that are in high demand and difficult to procure;

· Surface coatings that resist corrosion or assure flow, including ceramics that embody these properties but are also flexible;

· Means for separating CO2 from methane and other gases, including replacing use of energy-intensive absorption with use of nano-based membranes as a means for carbon capture and sequestration;

· Reservoir mapping using nano particles that detect the oil/water interface location and communicate to the surface, though the means of communication is not yet clear; and

· The combination of biotechnology and nano technology to produce alternative fuels, e.g., catalysts that promote cellulose to methane conversion.