Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in a Dynamic Flux: Magnetic Hyperthermia Effect on Flowing Heavy Crude Oil

Abstract

An essential part for crude oil extraction is flow assurance, being critical to maintain a financially sustainable flow while getting the petroleum to the surface. When not well managed, it can develop into a significant issue for the O & G industry. By heating the fluids, problems with flow assurance, including paraffin deposition, asphaltene, and methane hydrate, can be reduced. Also, as the temperature rises, a liquid’s viscosity decreases. Research focusing on the application of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) in the oil industry is very recent. When magnetic nanofluids are exposed to an alternating magnetic field, the viscosity decreases by several orders of magnitude as a result of the fluid’s temperature rising due to a phenomenon known as magnetic hyperthermia. This work focuses on the use of magnetic NPs (9 nm) in heavy crude oil (API 19.0). The frequency and strength of the magnetic field, as well as the characteristics of the fluid and the NPs intrinsic properties all affect the heating efficiency. For all of the experimental settings in this work, the flowloop’s temperature increased, reaching a maximum of Δ T = 16.3 °C, using 1% wt NPs at the maximum available frequency of the equipment (533 kHz) and the highest field intensity for this frequency (14 kA/m), with a flow rate of 1.2 g/s. This increase in temperature causes a decrease of nearly 45% on the heavy crude oil viscosity, and if properly implemented, could substantially increase oil flow in the field during production.

Control of Anisotropy and Magnetic Hyperthermia Effect by Addition of Cobalt on Magnetite Nanoparticles

“…Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) is a technique that involves raising the temperature of a medium by exploiting the magnetic losses exhibited by magnetic nanoparticles when subjected to an alternating current (ac) magnetic field at radiofrequency levels. In this process, the targeted medium, often biological tissues or fluids − or viscous fluids, − experiences controlled heating due to the energy dissipation from the magnetic materials. The choice of magnetic nanoparticles provides versatility, and the application of an ac magnetic field in the radiofrequency range allows precise control over the induced heat, ,, making MH a promising approach in various fields, particularly in targeted medical treatments where controlled and localized heating is advantageous − , and, too, to control the viscosity of the petroleum where changing the rheological properties of the petroleum can facilitate its transport. , Ferrite nanoparticles serve as compelling systems for MH due to the ability to manipulate their magnetic properties through composition and size control. , Beyond this tunability, they exhibit a plethora of potential applications, adding to their overall significance in various fields .…”

“…In this process, the targeted medium, often biological tissues or fluids − or viscous fluids, − experiences controlled heating due to the energy dissipation from the magnetic materials. The choice of magnetic nanoparticles provides versatility, and the application of an ac magnetic field in the radiofrequency range allows precise control over the induced heat, ,, making MH a promising approach in various fields, particularly in targeted medical treatments where controlled and localized heating is advantageous − , and, too, to control the viscosity of the petroleum where changing the rheological properties of the petroleum can facilitate its transport. , Ferrite nanoparticles serve as compelling systems for MH due to the ability to manipulate their magnetic properties through composition and size control. , Beyond this tunability, they exhibit a plethora of potential applications, adding to their overall significance in various fields . It is important to note that while the hydrophobic nature of the nanoparticles used in this study may limit their direct suitability for biomedical applications, it is worth noting that surface modifications of nanoparticles can be implemented to render these nanoparticles suitable for biomedical uses.…”