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Performance assessment of a novel citrus-based biopolymer for enhanced oil recovery in harsh reservoir conditions ̶ an experimental study
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  • Published: 03 April 2026

Performance assessment of a novel citrus-based biopolymer for enhanced oil recovery in harsh reservoir conditions ̶ an experimental study

  • Ammar G. Ali1,
  • Abiodun M. Amao1,
  • Faisal S. Altawati1 &
  • …
  • Taha M. Moawad1 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Energy science and technology
  • Engineering
  • Environmental sciences
  • Materials science

Abstract

The growing demand for energy and stricter environmental regulations necessitate the adoption of sustainable oil recovery methods, particularly in high-salinity, high-temperature (HSHT) reservoirs, where conventional synthetic polymers often suffer from viscosity loss, thermal degradation, and precipitation. This study evaluated a novel biopolymer extracted from orange peel waste as a cost-effective and environmentally benign alternative for polymer flooding under HSHT conditions. The biopolymer was produced through an optimized extraction process and characterized in terms of viscosity, thermal stability, and interfacial properties. Core flooding experiments were performed on Berea and Saq sandstone cores at 90 °C and 165,000 ppm salinity under three injection scenarios: conventional waterflooding (base case), polymer injection immediately after water breakthrough (WBT), and early polymer injection before significant water production. Citrus-based biopolymer maintained adequate viscosity at reservoir temperature and reduced oil–water interfacial tension from 21.8 to 8.59 mN/m; however, the primary recovery mechanism for the present formulation is mobility control rather than ultralow-IFT mobilization. In Berea sandstone, ultimate oil recovery increased from 47.6% in the base case to 51.7% and 63.35% when polymer was injected after WBT and at an early stage, respectively. For Saq sandstone, early polymer injection increased final oil recovery from 46.2% to 70.3% relative to the base case. These results correspond to incremental gains of approximately 15.8 and 24.1% points of OOIP relative to the respective base-case waterfloods in Berea and Saq cores. Overall, the findings demonstrated that citrus-derived biopolymers would address key limitations of conventional polymers in HSHT reservoirs while valorizing an abundant agricultural waste stream and supporting circular-economy principles.

Data availability

All data supporting the findings of this work are presented within the article. For any further inquiries, please contact the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Ongoing Research Funding program, (ORF-2026-1408), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The authors thank the Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering for its support. The first author would like to thank the Dean of the Graduate School at King Saud University for funding his graduate education.

Funding

This work received no external funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Ammar G. Ali, Abiodun M. Amao, Faisal S. Altawati & Taha M. Moawad

Authors
  1. Ammar G. Ali
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  2. Abiodun M. Amao
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  3. Faisal S. Altawati
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  4. Taha M. Moawad
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Contributions

Ammar Ali: Investigation, data curation, and writing; Abiodun Amao: Methodology, review, project administration, and editing; Faisal Altawati: validation, resources, writing – review & editing, visualization, project administration, and funding acquisition; Taha Moawad: Conceptualization, methodology, review, project administration, and editing.

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Correspondence to Abiodun M. Amao.

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Ali, A.G., Amao, A.M., Altawati, F.S. et al. Performance assessment of a novel citrus-based biopolymer for enhanced oil recovery in harsh reservoir conditions ̶ an experimental study. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46483-0

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  • Received: 06 January 2026

  • Accepted: 26 March 2026

  • Published: 03 April 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46483-0

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Keywords

  • Sustainable EOR
  • Polymer Flooding
  • EOR Biopolymer
  • Waste Materials
  • Valorization of Citrus Waste
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