The Effect of Shear on the Properties of an Associated Polymer Solution for Oil Displacement

Abstract

Polymer flooding is one of the techniques used to enhance oil recovery from depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. Although this technology is popular for this application, the shearing effect in the injection process causes poor performance, which is an obstacle to meeting the needs of the formation. An experimental evaluation of the rheological properties, viscoelasticity, hydrodynamic size, static adsorption, and seepage characteristics of the associated polymer solution before and after shearing was conducted to determine the influence of shearing on the polymer solution. The results show that the effect of shear on the polymer was irreversible, and the properties of the polymer solution damaged by shear were attenuated. After the critical associating concentration, the associated polymer can recover its solution properties through hydrophobic association, which can improve the shear resistance of the polymer solution and make its own rheological law and reduce the viscoelastic change. Although the hydrodynamic size, viscoelasticity, and adsorption capacity of the polymer solution after shear failure decreased, strong flow resistance during porous media seepage and mobility control was achieved. Improving the shear resistance of the polymer solution by increasing the intermolecular force is proposed to develop new polymer systems for subsequent oil displacement.

Nanoparticle-Assisted Surfactant/Polymer Formulations for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Sandstone Reservoirs: From Molecular Interaction to Field Application

“…This enhances the shear tolerance of polymer solutions, and changes in rheological parameters and viscoelastic behavior do not impart a significant loss. 89 Both laboratory and simulation results have revealed the increase in oil recovery efficiency for hybrid formulation, as compared to conventional water or polymer flooding. On the basis of Figure 7, greater oil recovery was the outcome of improved rheology and stability.…”

“…It has been shown that some polymers, such as associative polymers, can interact through hydrophobic associations to restore a significant amount of their solution properties after shear is applied. This enhances the shear tolerance of polymer solutions, and changes in rheological parameters and viscoelastic behavior do not impart a significant loss . Both laboratory and simulation results have revealed the increase in oil recovery efficiency for hybrid formulation, as compared to conventional water or polymer flooding.…”

Synthesis and performance evaluation of a novel zwitterionic quaternary copolymer for enhanced oil‐recovery application

“…Polymer flooding was an important and extensively used technique for improving oil recovery in the mid-later period of oilfield development. [1][2][3][4][5][6] However, there are still many challenges in practical applications, such as reduced long-term stability at high-temperature and in high-salinity brines, as well as limited propagation in low-permeability rocks. 7 Especially, the most widely used partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) 8,9 with the advantages of simple synthesis, controllable molecular weight, and improved water flooding development efficiency still had poor shear-resistance, temperature and salt resistance, suffering viscosity loss in the presence of reservoir brines and elevated temperature conditions.…”

“…Polymer flooding was an important and extensively used technique for improving oil recovery in the mid‐later period of oilfield development 1–6 . However, there are still many challenges in practical applications, such as reduced long‐term stability at high‐temperature and in high‐salinity brines, as well as limited propagation in low‐permeability rocks 7 .…”

Polymerization behavior and rheological properties of a surfactant-modified reactive hydrophobic monomer

“…Hydrophobically associated polyacrylamides have potential applications in various elds such as drug delivery, nanomaterial synthesis, water treatment, and the petrochemical industry owing to their molecular structures and properties [13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”