In the petroleum industry , 2-butoxyethanol is a component of fracturing fluids , drilling stabilizers , and oil slick dispersants for both water-based and oil-based hydraulic fracturing When liquid is pumped into the well , the fracturing fluids are pumped under extreme pressure , so 2-butoxyethanol is used to stabilize them by lowering the surface tension . As a surfactant , 2-butoxyethanol adsorbs at the oil-water interface of the fracture . The compound is also used to facilitate the release of the gas by preventing congealing . It is also used as a crude oil-water coupling solvent for more general oil well workovers . Because of its surfactant properties , it is a major constituent ( 30 – 60 % w/w ) in the oil spill dispersant Corexit 9527 , which was widely used in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
2-Butoxyethanol