Application of nanotechnology in petroleum exploration and development

Combined with the actual demand of oil and gas exploration and development, this paper summarizes the research progress and application of nanotechnology in various fields of petroleum exploration and development, discusses and prospects the application and development of nanotechnology in the future. Nano characterization technology has played an important role in the analysis of the mineral composition, micro pore structure and rock physical properties of unconventional reservoirs; the reservoir nano sensor is still in the laboratory stage, and the reservoir nano robots still need a key technology breakthrough; numerical simulation technology of oil and gas migration in micro-nano porous media will become an important means of unconventional oil and gas migration mechanism, distribution pattern and resource evaluation; nano materials have size and surface effect, wetting characteristics, inhibition characteristics of particle migration, shear thickening behavior, nanometer photocatalytic properties, nano filtration and nano corrosion and wear resistance. Nano materials have broad application prospects in the fields of enhanced oil recovery, water treatment, engineering anti-corrosion. There are three aspects of future development of nanotechnology, i.e., nano characterization and numerical simulation, nano sensing and nano materials. In-situ modification of low grade oil and gas resources and synthesis of oil and gas by nano photosynthesis are the two potential development directions.