Insights into the application of microfluidic platforms in enhanced oil recovery

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies are used to recover most of the trapped crude oil from our limited reserves. With the escalating energy demand, EOR will achieve substantial economic benefits and greatly help in the exploitation of natural oil reserves. Recent research focused on microfluidic platforms for studying flow behavior during EOR flooding. These platforms are micro-sized, and allow processing and visualization of a minimal amount of fluid, making them an intriguing tool for studying the microscale phenomena in EOR processes. This review presents a comprehensive and concise literature on microfluidic trends and developments in EOR. A particular focus is on the use of these platforms to assess oil recovery via chemical-based flooding methods, to understand the associated emulsification mechanisms, and to mimic subsurface morphology and mineralogy of reservoirs. Furthermore, an outlook on the advancement of microfluidics utilization in EOR applications is discussed, covering development efficient micro-scale separators, 3D printing, and Artificial Intelligence applications. Microfluidic platforms provide valuable insights into EOR processes, and ongoing advancements in microfluidics hold the potential to enhance oil recovery efficiency and optimize EOR techniques.