Oil shale deposit may be ruined by technique boosting oil recovery, experiment shows

Skoltech researchers have studied the effect of injecting two chemical agents for enhanced oil recovery into oil shale. As it turned out, both of the investigated fluids—water solutions of nanoparticles and a soaplike substance called a surfactant—are not feasible options for shale oil projects. In fact, these agents may trap the oil underground instead of helping it to be recovered. Bearing that risk in mind, the performance of other agents should now be explored, the scientists suggest. Their findings are reported in Energy & Fuels.