{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T10:34:28Z","timestamp":1787567668926,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787270400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In carbonate petroleum reservoirs, permeability impairment caused by asphaltene precipitation and deposition remains a major challenge that limits long-term productivity. This study introduces a green polymeric nanocomposite (KCl\/SiO2\/Xanthan\/Origanum vulgare, NCs) designed to control interfacial dynamics and preserve flow capacity in carbonate formations. Using a multi-technique approach\u2014interfacial tension (IFT) analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and rock-core, fluid-flooding experiments at simulated subsurface conditions\u2014the NCs\u2019 abilities were evaluated in terms of their potential to modify properties at fluid\u2013fluid and fluid\u2013rock interfaces. The NCs increased the CO2\u2013brine\/oil IFT slope in certain pressure regions by up to 40.77%. These results indicate competitive adsorption that stabilizes interfaces. Adsorption isotherms confirmed a monolayer mechanism with a high capacity of 294.12 mg\/g. AFM topographic mapping revealed order-of-magnitude changes in surface roughness (reductions in average roughness by ~75%, root-mean-square by ~83%, peak-to-valley by ~93%). These results directly link nanoscale smoothing to reduced capillary pinning. Core flooding tests demonstrated that NCs treatment decreased formation damage by up to 67.45% at 4000 psi, maintaining a high permeability ratio (k\/ki = 0.87) and preserving porosity (\u03c6\/\u03c6i = 0.887, representing 88.7% porosity retention). These results establish that the studied NCs coherently manipulate fluid physics in relation to molecular adsorption and macroscopic permeability. Consequently, these NCs offer a sustainable, high-performance strategy for flow assurance and formation damage control in geological and geothermal reservoirs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18162035","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T08:03:41Z","timestamp":1787558621000},"page":"2035","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Green Polymeric Nanocomposite (KCl\/SiO2\/Xanthan\/Origanum vulgare) for Multi-Scale Interfacial Stabilization and Permeability Preservation in Carbonate Petroleum Reservoirs"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7869-3204","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yaser","family":"Ahmadi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Ilam University, Ilam P.O. Box 69315\/516, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mehdi","family":"Havasbeigi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, Ilam University, Ilam P.O. Box 69315\/516, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3202-4069","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David A.","family":"Wood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DWA Energy Limited, Lincoln LN5 9JP, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103488","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cis.2025.103488","article-title":"Review on Asphaltene Precipitation and Deposition Kinetics and CO2 Interactions","volume":"341","author":"Quainoo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Adv. 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