Graphene and its derivatives have been a promising material in all area of science and technology for many decades. In the recent years, its outlooks and applications in oil and gas upstream industry are of a major importance. As a result of its exceptional chemical, electrical, structural, and mechanical properties, it can act as a good agent for the recovery of trapped oil. The aim of this review was to provide insight on application of graphene nanoparticles in upstream industries. Furthermore, the advances of graphene synthesis techniques and its impacts on oil mobility ratio in enhancing oil recovery process were analyzed. Extensively, the mechanism of oil recovery enhancement using graphene nanoparticles were discussed. Graphene nanoparticles shows a positive impact on both rheological and stabilization characteristics of drilling fluids, wettability alteration, interfacial tension, and improving the emulsion stability. The challenges of graphene nanoparticles in enhance oil recovery are explained and its solution. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.