Polymer Injectivity Learned From 20 Years’ Polymer Flooding Field Practices

Zong, Hongjie; He, Kai; Li, X.; Huang, Fang; Chen, J.; Fu, Haichang; Wang, Z.; Song, Kao Ping; Guo, Hu

doi:10.3997/2214-4609.202133062

Cited by 2 publications

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“…The polymer is a charged molecule that has to equilibrate with the porous media and the changing brine as injected . The key technical risks associated with this approach include injectivity decline, viscosity loss due to cation exchange, and delayed arrival of the oil bank. , …”

Section: Discussion On the Synergic Impact Of Swp Obtained From Diffe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Smart Water–Polymer Hybrid Flooding in Heavy Oil Sandstone Reservoirs: A Detailed Review and Guidelines for Future Applications

Khosravi,

Chahardowli,

Simjoo

2024

Energy Fuels

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The application of smart water−polymer hybrid flooding in sandstone reservoirs has gained significant attention in recent years. This study provides a comprehensive review of the smart water−polymer flooding concept, including the underlying mechanisms, necessary conditions, and specific applications in heavy oil sandstone reservoirs. Screening criteria and required conditions for each method are investigated thoroughly to ensure the possibility of their synergy. The study also addresses smart water deficiency as a single Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) process for heavy oil heterogeneous sandstone reservoirs. The effectiveness of smart water−polymer hybrid flooding in terms of enhancing oil recovery mechanisms, various injection scenarios, economic profitability, and associated risks such as injectivity decline and viscosity loss is thoroughly examined and compared in different experimental and simulation studies. Based on the literature, it is concluded that wettability alteration and mobility control are the main controlling mechanisms. The synergistic effect of these mechanisms can lead to an increase in oil recovery equal to or higher than the summation of each method separately, with more effective results for heavy oil reservoirs. Notably, among the various injection scenarios explored, smart water injection followed by a tertiary smart water−polymer flood demonstrated the highest ultimate oil recovery. Despite numerous experimental studies on this subject, a series of controversial results have been observed concerning issues such as injectivity, polymer retention, and cation exchange between the polymer and aqueous phase. This indicates the necessity for more detailed investigations on this hybrid EOR method in the future. Simulation and optimization studies, particularly by applying proxy models such as artificial-intelligence-based methods, seem to have a high potential for further field study in this topic.

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Section: Discussion On the Synergic Impact Of Swp Obtained From Diffe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…38 The key technical risks associated with this approach include injectivity decline, viscosity loss due to cation exchange, and delayed arrival of the oil bank. 144,145 5.4.1. Injectivity Decline.…”

Section: Synergistic Impacts Of Various Swp Injectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Water–Polymer Hybrid Flooding in Heavy Oil Sandstone Reservoirs: A Detailed Review and Guidelines for Future Applications

Khosravi,

Chahardowli,

Simjoo

2024

Energy Fuels

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“…According to Guo [14], the lower the permeability, the lower the recommended molar mass of the used polymer. In addition, the selection of the molecular weight has an impact on injectivity [15] and can be assessed using core floods or micromodels [16,17]. However, as the viscosifying power of polymers tends to increase with MW, the tendency in the industry is to inject polymers with a high molecular weight (e.g., (Xiaoqin [18], Al-Hashmi et al [19]), which might be a good strategy for highly permeable reservoirs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The workflows or evaluations have included gathering data from microfluidic experiments [9,16,17,[26][27][28], core flooding [26,29,30] and simulation. All addressing topics that consider injectivity [15], such us resistance factor or residual resistance factor. Moreover, recovery factors associated to pressure associated when injecting polymers in the reservoir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selecting EOR Polymers through Combined Approaches—A Case for Flooding in a Heterogenous Reservoir

et al. 2022

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This work uses micromodel, core floods and Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) evaluations to estimate the behaviour and key elements for selecting polymers to address heterogenous reservoirs. One of the approaches was to construct two-layered micromodels differing six times in permeability and based on the physical characteristics of a Bentheimer sandstone. Further, the impacts of injectivity and displacement efficiency of the chosen polymers were then assessed using single- and two-phase core tests. Moreover, FFF was also used to assess the polymers’ conformity, gyration radii, and molecular weight distribution. For the polymer selection for field application, we weighted on the good laboratory performance in terms of sweep efficiency improvement, injectivity, and propagation. Based on the results, polymer B (highest MWD) performed the poorest. Full spectrum MWD measurement using Field-Flow Fractionation is a key in understanding polymer behavior. Heterogenous micromodel evaluations provided consistent data to subsequent core flood evaluations and were in alignment with FFF indications. Single-phase core floods performed higher injection velocities (5 m/d) in combination of FFF showed that narrower MWD distribution polymers (polymers A and C) have less retention and better injectivity. Two-phase core floods performed at low, reservoir representative velocities (1 ft/d) showed that Polymer B could not be injected, with pressure response staying at high values even when chase brine is injected. Adsorption values for all tested polymers at these conditions were high, however highest were observed in the case of polymer B. Overall, for the polymer selection for field application, we weighted on the good laboratory performance in terms of sweep efficiency improvement, injectivity, polymer retention, and propagation; all accounted in this work.

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Polymer Injectivity Learned From 20 Years’ Polymer Flooding Field Practices

Cited by 2 publications

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Smart Water–Polymer Hybrid Flooding in Heavy Oil Sandstone Reservoirs: A Detailed Review and Guidelines for Future Applications

Smart Water–Polymer Hybrid Flooding in Heavy Oil Sandstone Reservoirs: A Detailed Review and Guidelines for Future Applications

Selecting EOR Polymers through Combined Approaches—A Case for Flooding in a Heterogenous Reservoir

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