Surfactants for enhanced oil recovery: A critical review of mechanisms, performance, reservoir compatibility, and field applications
4 affiliations
- 1Chemistry Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia
- 2Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia
- 3Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.
- 4Chemistry Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.
Abstract
The use of surfactants in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a promising technique for mobilizing trapped oil after primary and secondary recovery. Analysis of the existing literature revealed that conventional surfactants can effectively alter interfacial tension (IFT), emulsification, wettability, and adsorption behaviour under ambient conditions. However, under harsh reservoir conditions, these surfactant properties are limited due to complex mechanisms. Therefore, understanding of these mechanisms is essential for developing surfactants that are compatible with reservoir fluids under demanding conditions, which is currently limited in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms and performance of various surfactants that are currently used for EOR. Moreover, it describes in detail the significance of chemical stability, salt tolerance, and thermal resistance for reservoir compatibility through a comparative study of surfactant classes. Studies conclude that surfactants reduce IFT and mobilize oil. Furthermore, emulsification aids in displacing oil by forming a stable emulsion, while wettability changes rock surfaces towards aqueous-wet, which allows oil to be easily displaced. However, surfactant loss remains a major challenge due to adsorption. The maximization of surfactant performance requires an ultralow IFT (≤10 −3 mNm −1 ), controlled emulsification, efficient wettability alteration, and reduced adsorption. Finally, future directions are outlined, and guidelines for elucidating surfactant-reservoir interactions to enhance oil recovery under extreme conditions are recommended.
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BibTeX
@article{joof2026surfactants,
title = {{Surfactants for enhanced oil recovery: A critical review of mechanisms, performance, reservoir compatibility, and field applications}},
author = {Samba Joof and Masooma Nazar and Syed Muhammad Shakil Hussain and Nisar Ullah},
journal = {Results in Surfaces and Interfaces},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.rsurfi.2026.101032},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsurfi.2026.101032},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Surfactants for enhanced oil recovery: A critical review of mechanisms, performance, reservoir compatibility, and field applications
AU - Samba Joof
AU - Masooma Nazar
AU - Syed Muhammad Shakil Hussain
AU - Nisar Ullah
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Results in Surfaces and Interfaces
DO - 10.1016/j.rsurfi.2026.101032
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsurfi.2026.101032
AB - The use of surfactants in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a promising technique for mobilizing trapped oil after primary and secondary recovery. Analysis of the existing literature revealed that conventional surfactants can effectively alter interfacial tension (IFT), emulsification, wettability, and adsorption behaviour under ambient conditions. However, under harsh reservoir conditions, these surfactant properties are limited due to complex mechanisms. Therefore, understanding of these mechanisms is essential for developing surfactants that are compatible with reservoir fluids under demanding conditions, which is currently limited in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms and performance of various surfactants that are currently used for EOR. Moreover, it describes in detail the significance of chemical stability, salt tolerance, and thermal resistance for reservoir compatibility through a comparative study of surfactant classes. Studies conclude that surfactants reduce IFT and mobilize oil. Furthermore, emulsification aids in displacing oil by forming a stable emulsion, while wettability changes rock surfaces towards aqueous-wet, which allows oil to be easily displaced. However, surfactant loss remains a major challenge due to adsorption. The maximization of surfactant performance requires an ultralow IFT (≤10 −3 mNm −1 ), controlled emulsification, efficient wettability alteration, and reduced adsorption. Finally, future directions are outlined, and guidelines for elucidating surfactant-reservoir interactions to enhance oil recovery under extreme conditions are recommended.
SN - 2666-8459
ER -