Enhanced Oil Recovery

What is Enhanced Oil Recovery?

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) surfactants mobilize residual oil trapped in reservoir pore networks by reducing oil–water interfacial tension to ultra-low levels—extending field life beyond primary and secondary recovery. Venus Ethoxyethers also supports viscoelastic surfactant (VES) chemistries for acidizing diversion.…

What is Enhanced Oil Recovery used for?

After primary depletion and waterflooding, a large fraction of oil remains trapped by capillary forces. Chemical EOR injects surfactants (often with alkali and/or polymer) to lower interfacial tension so oil droplets deform and flow to production wells. Success depends on matching surfactant structure to crude oil,… Venus Ethoxyethers manufactures and supplies in India; request a quote for your requirements.

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) surfactants mobilize residual oil trapped in reservoir pore networks by reducing oil–water interfacial tension to ultra-low levels—extending field life beyond primary and secondary recovery. Venus Ethoxyethers also supports viscoelastic surfactant (VES) chemistries for acidizing diversion. Through parent company Harcros, Venus Goa offers patented specialty surfactants for chemical EOR programs worldwide.

What EOR surfactants do

After primary depletion and waterflooding, a large fraction of oil remains trapped by capillary forces. Chemical EOR injects surfactants (often with alkali and/or polymer) to lower interfacial tension so oil droplets deform and flow to production wells. Success depends on matching surfactant structure to crude oil, brine salinity, temperature, and rock mineralogy.

Viscoelastic surfactant (VES)

A viscoelastic surfactant forms worm-like micelle gels with high apparent viscosity in live acid or brine. VES packages are used for matrix acidizing diversion, fracture diversion, and conformance control — distinct from ultra-low-IFT flooding surfactants. See the viscoelastic surfactant & EOR guide for mechanism and screening notes.

Harcros EOR surfactant technology

Typical Harcros EOR surfactants achieve interfacial tension below 10⁻⁴ dynes/cm at the oil droplet interface. The molecular architecture combines a large hydrophobe, substantial ethylene oxide and propylene oxide blocks [(EO)₂₀₋₄₅(PO)₂₀₋₄₅], and an electrolyte-tolerant end-capping group—technology protected by global Harcros patents.

ASP and SP flooding

These surfactants are designed for alkali–surfactant–polymer (ASP) and surfactant–polymer (SP) flooding schemes where salinity, temperature, and crude composition demand robust, built-for-purpose chemistries. Laboratory coreflood and phase behaviour screening support field pilot design.

Screening checklist

• Reservoir temperature and pressure
• Formation brine salinity and divalent ion content
• Crude oil API gravity and acid number
• Target IFT and Winsor phase behaviour
• Compatibility with polymer, alkali, and scale inhibitors

Related oilfield portfolio

Explore oil and gas chemicals, flowback aids, corrosion inhibitors, oil based mud additives, and EO/PO block copolymers. Contact Venus for EOR surfactant technical data and partnership inquiries via reach us.