Enzyme-based bionanofluids for chemical enhanced oil recovery processes

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies are not integrated into the agro-sustainable landscape of the countries. This proposal aims to isolate lipases from agro-waste and improve them through nanotechnology for EOR processes. For this, lipase extracts were obtained from sunflower and melon seeds. Simultaneously, acidic (SiO2), neutral (Al2O3), and basic (MgO) nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and used for the enhancement of the lipase EOR activity. To evaluate the formulations, static performance, and dynamic tests were carried out. The results corroborated the obtaining of nanoparticles acidic, neutral and basic, thermostable, in the nanometric regime. Performance tests revealed a positive effect when adding lipases (2 mg/L) and MgO nanoparticles (100 mg/L) to water (bionanofluids), improving their capillary number by up to 2281%. Microfluidic tests revealed an increase in recovery factor of up to 2.2 times using bionanofluids compared to using water. Lipases tend to be activated at the interface of dual polarity systems, which would explain their capillary properties. Likewise, the inclusion of MgO nanoparticles increases the density of lipase macromolecules (1017 lipases molecules per g of nanoparticle) that can lodge at the interface functioning as a carrier. The nanocomposite was stabilized by electrostatic interactions associated with surface charge potentials. This proposal marks a significant advance in the extraction of enzymes from revalued agro-industrial waste, as well as its application in the energy sector, prioritizing initiatives to generate cleaner and more sustainable exploitation.