Role of oil-water emulsion in enhanced oil recovery

Oil-in-water emulsions are important in the petroleum industry as a displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery. In the present study commercially available gear oil was used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions. Characterizations of the emulsions were performed with respect to their physicochemical properties and size distribution of the dispersed oil droplet in water phase. Experiments were also carried out to observe the efficiency of the emulsion as displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery. Substantial additional recoveries (more than 20% of original oil in place) over conventional water flooding were obtained in the present study.