An aqueous sol used in CO.sub.2 foam flooding, one of EOR flooding methods for recovering crude oil by injection into the oil reservoir of an onshore or offshore oil field, the aqueous sol increasing foam stability even over a substantial period of time, at high temperatures and pressures, and in salt water, thus improving crude oil recovery rate. The aqueous sol for increasing stability of froth or emulsion in a mixture containing carbon dioxide, water, and oil in CO.sub.2 foam flooding of EOR, the sol including silica particles having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering and having surfaces at least partially coated with a silane compound having a hydrolyzable group, the silica particles serving as a dispersoid and dispersed in an aqueous solvent having a pH of 1.0 to 6.0 serving as a dispersion medium.

The present invention discloses a novel process for the mineralization of CO.sub.2 in mafic and ultramafic rocks or storage of CO.sub.2 in geological formations through the generation and use of nano-sized CO.sub.2 bubbles injected into a fluid-mixture.

A composite particle that incorporates a material and is designed to undergo a reaction and/or mechanical or chemical change with the environment to increase in volume. The composite particle can be combined with a constraining matrix to create an expandable particle upon reaction. These particles can be used in stimulating wells, including oil and gas reservoirs.

Systems and methods for enhanced or improved oil recovery includes injecting a Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid through an injection well into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir to mobilize and displace hydrocarbons. The Y-Grade NGL enhanced oil recovery fluid comprises an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture. Simultaneously and/or subsequently, a mobility control fluid is injected into the hydrocarbon bearing formation. Hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir are produced through a production well or the same injection well.

The present disclosure provides a drilling fluid lubricant and a preparation method and use thereof. The preparation method includes steps of: 1) mixing styrene and water, then adding a nano-inorganic intermediate, a crosslinking agent and an emulsifier and stirring to obtain a first mixture; 2) under an inert atmosphere, stirring the first mixture to obtain an intermediate emulsion; then heating the intermediate emulsion to 70-85° C., then adding an initiator, keeping temperature and stirring for 7-10 hours to obtain an emulsion of polystyrene nanocomposite with a particle size of 40-90 nm; the emulsion of polystyrene nanocomposite being sequentially subjected to a granulating treatment to obtain polystyrene nanocomposite particles; 3) mixing industrial base oil, polystyrene nanocomposite particles and industrial oleic acid, and stirring evenly at room temperature to obtain the drilling fluid lubricant.

A composition that includes a polymer-grafted graphene particle and aqueous-based drilling fluid is provided. At least one side of the graphene particle comprises a grafted polymer. A method of using an aqueous-based drilling fluid is also provided. The method includes introducing the aqueous-based drilling fluid into a wellbore and circulating the aqueous-based drilling fluid during drilling operations. The drilling fluid includes a polymer-grafted graphene particle and aqueous-based drilling fluid. At least one side of the graphene particle comprises a grafted polymer. The aqueous-based drilling fluid includes a range of from about 0.01 ppb to 10 ppb of the polymer-grafted graphene particle.

A method and compounds for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) including flooding of a mixture of water and one or more of the compounds in a geological formation. The compounds have a fluoroalkyl group.

It is provided a method of cementing comprising a) providing a cement slurry by mixing: i) a cement composition comprising an cement and an amount of magnetic nanoparticles from 0.01 wt. % to 10 wt. % relative to the amount of cement (0.01% to 10% BWOC), wherein the magnetic nanoparticles have a mean particle size determined by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) from 10 nm to 50 nm and a crystallite size determined by the Scherrer equation which is at least an 80% the mean particle size; and ii) water; and b) applying to the cement slurry an alternating magnetic field of from 25 mT to 60 mT at a frequency from 50 kHz to 200 kHz) in order to set the cement slurry. It is also provided the mentioned cementing composition and an article of manufacture obtainable by the method of cementing.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an asymmetrically functionalized nanoparticle and a method for synthesizing the same. The asymmetrically functionalized nanoparticle includes a base nanoparticle. The base nanoparticle can include silicon dioxide. The base nanoparticle can have a lipophilic surface. A portion of the surface can be functionalized with a functionalizing material forming a hydrophilic portion. The functionalizing material can include polyethylenimine. A remaining portion of the surface is not functionalized forming a lipophilic portion. The asymmetrically functionalized nanoparticle is amphiphilic.

A method to reduce the deposition of solid sulfur (Ss(s)) in a natural gas producing well, is described wherein the inside of the pipes used in the well are coated with a coating comprising polar surface treated nanoparticles. The polar surface treated nanoparticles interact with the sulfur gas and interfere with the deposition of solid sulfur onto the surface of the pipe. The polar surface treated nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina and silica-aluminate, metal sulfates and metal oxides.