Multicomponent nanocapsules for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract

A multicomponent nanocapsule composition comprising a core particle, an oil phase encapsulating the core particle, and an aqueous phase in which the encapsulated core particle is suspended is provided. The porous particle includes a cationic surfactant encapsulated in a porous particle. The oil phase includes an anionic surfactant and a zwitterionic surfactant. A method of making a multicomponent nanocapsule composition is also provided. A method of treating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation with the multicomponent nanocapsule composition is provided. The method may include providing a multicomponent nanocapsule composition, introducing the multicomponent nanocapsule composition into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, displacing hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation by contacting the multicomponent nanocapsule composition with the hydrocarbons, and recovering the hydrocarbons.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.