Technical Challenges for Improved Hydrocarbon Recovery

World-wide energy demand is expected to triple in this century. This energy challenge must be met by the fossil fuel resources in the next 50 years in spite of the growth in renewable energy. Improved hydrocarbon recovery and geologic carbon sequestration have to play a significant role in meeting this challenge. This presentation would summarize the role of hydrocarbon deposits in the energy landscape. Different methods to recover hydrocarbons from geologic formation would be described. Prof. Payatakes worked on chemical methods for oil recovery in the early part of his career; his contributions will be pointed out. New developments in oil and gas recovery and challenges for these areas will be outlined.