Publications

Heavy oil is defined as having a density of 23.3deg API or less. Its global potential is around 9-13 trillion barrels or 70% of world oil reserves. In order to produce such heavy oil, a thermal recovery technique is proposed to be applied by combining the incorporation of microwave antenna into the well with the use of nano-ferro fluid. The microwave will radiate the water particles and the nano-ferro fluid in the reservoir and as a result the oil will heat up and its viscosity lowered. This technique may overcome pressure and/or heat loss due to depth limitation in other thermal recovery techniques. To simulate the actual conditions, an experiment was conducted by radiating sand packs consisting of 22deg API oil, nano-ferro fluid (Fe2O3) or brine, and loose sand. With a frequency of 2.45 GHZ and a maximum output power at 900 Watt, the microwave radiation was able to reduce oil viscosity from 4412.11 cP on its pour point at 51degC to 134.24 cP at 90degC. Furthermore, the oil recovery factor increased up to 36.08% at 90degC.