5th International Conference on Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods

On 26 – 28 May, the event brings together representatives of oil producing and oilfield service companies, research and development centers, academic institutes, universities, and developers and manufacturers of specialized chemical products and equipment from Russia, China, Vietnam, France, Oman, and Kazakhstan.

“This year, more than 250 people are participating in the conference, 90 of them online. 36 papers will be presented, including three plenary sessions. I think there will be very interesting discussions, and many new ideas will emerge. At numerous meetings, we will be able to discuss the intricacies of interaction and cooperation,” said Vice-Rector Danis Nurgaliev in his address to the conference. “On my way here, I recalled Mikhail Lomonosov’s words: ‘Chemistry extends its hands widely into human affairs.’ The time has come, and we have begun to use chemistry to extract oil.”

Konstantin Prochukhan, Deputy General Director for Technological Development at Oil Resource Company, noted in his speech that the oil production industry is currently facing significant challenges, such as the depletion of traditional reserves and increasingly complex field development conditions. In this regard, chemical methods for enhancing oil recovery are acquiring particular importance, becoming a key tool for improving production efficiency.

“Our conference is a unique platform for dialogue between scientists, engineers, and representatives of production and service companies. Here, fundamental science meets practical experience, new ideas are born, and strategic partnerships are formed,” emphasized Prochukhan.

He expressed hope that the conference will be a period of productive exchange of experience, professional inspiration, and the strengthening of business ties.

Bulat Ganiev, Head of the Field Development Department at Tatneft-Production, a structural division of Tatneft, said he believes the conference is the largest platform for technical specialists to discuss chemical methods for enhancing oil recovery.

“I would like to thank Kazan University, which provides representatives of companies that normally compete with each other with the opportunity to gather at the conference, discuss important issues, share experiences, and learn something new and useful. Such interactions benefit all market participants,” he noted.

Ruslan Uchuev, Head of New Technologies and Import Substitution at Gazprom Neft, reiterated its annual support of the conference and wished all participants interesting and productive work.

Maxim Matveev, Deputy General Director for Research at Norchem; Daniel Huskar, Engineer at SNF Vostok; and Nguyen Lam Anh, Deputy General Director for Geology at the Russian-Vietnamese joint venture Vietsovpetro also addressed the audience.

Following the opening ceremony, plenary lectures were given by Alexey Malakhov, Deputy Head of Research at the Engineering Center for Heterogeneous Catalysis and Low-Tolnage Chemistry for Oil and Gas Production at the Kazan Federal University Low-Tolnage Chemical Technology Park (Unified Methodology for Screening Chemical Reagents for EOR: Toward Standardization of Laboratory Research); Daniel Huskar (Field Demonstration of Polymer Flooding under Harsh Reservoir Conditions); Maxim Matveev (Chemical EOR Technologies: From Laboratory Development to Industrial Implementation).

“Today, chemical methods for enhanced oil recovery represent not just a collection of technologies, but a holistic ecosystem of solutions, combining chemistry, geology, digital technologies, and engineering. Artificial intelligence helps predict the effectiveness of reagents, new polymer compositions enable the development of previously inaccessible reserves, and combined methods open up prospects for achieving fundamentally new oil recovery rates,” Konstantin Prochukhan told in his commentary to the press.

He noted that there are relatively few specialists in chemical enhanced oil recovery methods in the country, and the conference held annually by KFU facilitates their networking and interaction.

“It provides a platform for meeting not just professionals, but people who have become friends over the years,” said Prochukhan. “I would like to thank KFU for the excellent organization of the event. I am pleased to come from St. Petersburg to your conference.”

It is noteworthy that during the Year of Scientific and Educational Cooperation between Russia and Vietnam, representatives of several companies from that country are participating in the conference.

Ho Nam Trung, Head of the Geology and Field Development Department at Vietsovpetro, has already been to Kazan.

“During our previous visit to the conference, we had the opportunity to become acquainted with KFU. We realized then that you have a very strong educational background and a very good research team. Our company decided to collaborate with Kazan University. At the end of 2025, an agreement was signed, according to which KFU scientists began work on applying enhanced oil recovery methods at the White Tiger field in Vietnam. The first stage has already been completed,” said Ho Nam Trung.

According to Ildus Chukmarov, Deputy Director for Continuing Education and Industrial Partnerships at the Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, who gave a presentation at the conference, KFU and Vietsovpetro have been collaborating since 2019.

“The Center for Advanced Training has been offering courses for Vietsovpetro employees since 2020,” shared Chukmarov. “Furthermore, this fall, we plan to begin training their employees in chemical methods for enhanced oil recovery at CdoGEO.”

He added that during his speech, he invited representatives of the companies present at the conference to participate in the development of the center’s continuing education courses, as well as in the scientific and educational projects implemented by the university.

The conference is becoming increasingly interesting and popular every year, according to Mikhail Varfolomeev, Director of the Small-Tonnage Chemical Technology Park and Chair of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, “Companies from all over the world have gathered here. This year, for example, a large delegation from Vietnam is participating in the conference, including the Deputy General Director of Vietsovpetro and executives from the major oilfield services company PetroVietnam Chemical and Services Corporation. It’s fair to say that KFU is becoming a hub for exchanging experience in enhanced oil recovery methods, allowing the university to implement a wide range of projects in this area, from research to the development of chemical reagents and their subsequent application at the field.”