Crucial challenges in petroleum industry have persuaded scientists to improve existing strategies on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by utilizing more effective materials than currently available. Relevantly, amphiphilic surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) with suitable properties like proper interfacial activity, recyclability, environmental friendliness, and stability under high temperature and salinity conditions are known as appropriate materials. Although much attention has been paid to various applications of SAILs, their applications in the petroleum industry require a comprehensive review. In this frame, the present chapter focuses on the performance of SAILs in petroleum industry. For this purpose, the characteristics of SAILs are first discussed. Different applications of SAILs in surfactant flooding, wettability alteration, and oil displacement are then surveyed. Thereafter, discussions about the effects of the type of crude oil, the interaction of SAILs with reservoir rocks, and comparison with conventional surfactants are provided. Whenever it is relevant, the activity of SAILs is explained in terms of chemical structure and operating conditions such as temperature and salinity. The characteristics and outstanding performance of the new types of SAILs are also regarded to highlight the benefits of these materials. Finally, the challenges and possible future directions for the use of SAILs and conclusions are gathered in the last section. Generally, this chapter provides in-depth information about the application of SAILs in petroleum industry.
