Oilfield Chemicals Laboratory Programme
The Oilfield Chemicals Laboratory seeks to close the gap between the synthetic and physical chemistry expertise for Enhanced Oil Recovery and the application knowledge that is required for testing oilfield chemical formulations on geological samples from oil fields in lab scale experiments. This research programme supports Singapore’s strategy to develop leadership in oilfield chemicals as this speciality chemicals sector gravitates towards the Eastern Hemisphere where new reserves of oil and natural gas are bring developed in recent years. A*STAR seeks to develop capabilities in the design, synthesis, and formulation of surfactants, water soluble polymers and additives to enhance the recovery rate of oil from oilfields during the decline phase.
The opening of the oilfield chemicals lab took place in May 2016, and the lab now has fully developed capabilities in: Core flood experiments under reservoir conditions, polymer and surfactant flooding, advanced interfacial and rheological analysis, nano-EOR, paraffin wax deposition and inhibition studies, crude oil analysis and multiphase flow visualization.