Experimental Study of Polymer Injection on Enhanced Oil Recovery from Heavy Oil Reservoirs and Determination of Optimum Injection Concentration

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Petroleum University of Technology, Ahwaz Faculty of Petroleum Engineering, Iran

Abstract

For many years, using polymers for injected water mobility control and enhanced oil recovery is a usual approach. Polymer flooding can improve volumetric sweep efficiency, reduce fingering effect, channeling, and retard water breakthrough time. In addition, polymer flooding has caused that oil production increase, and production cost decreases. In this project, used a new polymer for evaluation of heavy oil enhanced oil recovery has been used. Six polymer solution with various concentrations have been prepared. Stability tests were done at different shear rate, time, and temperature. Finally, results have shown that this polymer is appropriate for injection in reservoir. In next step, three optimum polymer solution for polymer flooding have been selected. Finally, the obtained results have illustrated that thousand ppm solution has the best recovery with forty percent incremental recovery with polymer flooding. Also, oil recovery of this polymer is more toward other polymers. Therefore, using this polymer is more economical.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1]. Kharat R., Asadollahi M., and Nemani M., “Enhanced Oil Recovery,” Nehare Danesh Press, 2009. ##
[2]. Lake L. W., “Enhanced oil recovery,” Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Patent Hall, 1989. ##
[3]. Dullien F. A. L., “Porous media: fluid transport and pore structure,” Academic Press, Washington, USA. 1979. ##
[4]. Sorbie K. S. “Polymer-improved oil recovery,” London: Blackie and Son Limited, 1991. ##
[5]. Du Y. and Guan L., “Field-scale polymer flooding: lessons learnt and experiences gained during past 40 years,” SPE 91787, International Petroleum Conference, Puebla, Mexico, 8-9 November 2004. ##
[6]. Needham R. B. and Doe P. H., “Polymer flooding review,” J. Pet.Tech., Vol. 39, No. 12, pp.1503-1507, 1987. ##
[7]. Seright R. S., D. Wang, N. Lerner, A. Nguyen, J. Sabid, and R. Tochor. “Can 25-cp polymer solution efficiently displace 1,600-cp oil during polymer flooding?,” SPE Journal, Vol. 23, Issue 06, December 2018. ##
[8]. Kumar M., Hoang V., Satik C. and Rojas D., “High-mobility-raio waterflood performance prediction: challenges and new insights,” SPERE, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 186-196, 2008. ##
[9]. Craft B. C., Hawkins M. F. and Terry R. E., “Applied petroleum reservoir engineering,” 2nd Englewood Cliffs, N. J: Prentice Hall PTR 4-6., pp. 376-384, 1991. ##
[10]. Neil J. D., Chang H. L. and Geffen T. M., “Waterflooding and improved waterflooding in improved oil recovery,” Oklahoma City, Interstate Oil Compact Commission, pp. 1-52, 1983. ##
[11]. Taber J. J., Martin F.  D. and Seright R. S., “EOR screening criteria revisited – Part 1: introduction to screening criteria and enhanced recovery field projects,” SPERE, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 189-198, 1997. ##
[12]. Taber J. J., Martin F. D. and Seright R. S., “EOR screening criteria revisited – Part 2: applications and impact of oil prices,” SPERE, Vol. 12, No. 3, August 1997. ##
[13]. Al-Bahar M. A., Merrill R., Peake W., Jumaa M. and Oskui R., “Evaluation of IOR potential within Kuwait”, Paper SPE 88716 presented at the Abu Dhabi International Conference and Exhibition, Abu Dhabi, 10–13 October 2004. ##
[14]. Dickson J. L., Leahy-Dios A. and Wylie P. L., “Development of improved hydrocarbon recovery screening methodologies,” Paper SPE 129768 presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, 24–28 April 2010. ##
[15]. Shupe R. D., “Chemical stability of polyacrylamide polymers,” J. Pet. Tech., Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. 1513-1529, 1981. ##
[16]. Akstinat M. H., “Polymers for enhanced oil recovery in reservoirs of extremely high salinities and high temperatures,” SPE 8979, Fifth International Symposium on Oilfield and Geothermal Chemistry, Stanford, CA, 28-30 May 1980. ##
[17]. Davison P. and Mentzer E., “Polymer flooding in North Sea reservoirs,” SPE 9300, 55th Annual Fall Conference, Dallas, TX, 21-24 September 1980. ##
[18]. Manrique E. J., Muci V. E. and Gurfinkel M. E., “EOR field experiences in carbonate reservoirs in the United States,” SPEREE, Vol. 10, Issue 6, pp. 667–686, December 2007. ##
[19]. Gao C H. “Advances of polymer flood in heavy oil recovery,” SPE heavy oil conference and exhibition held in Kuwait, 12-14 December 2011. ##
[20]. Wassmuth F., Green K., Hodgins L. and Turta A., “Polymer flood technology for heavy oil recovery,” Paper 2007-182 Presented at the Canadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary Canada, June 2007.  ##
[21]. Wang J. and Dong M., “A laboratory study of polymer flooding for improving heavy oil recovery,” Paper 2007-178 Presented at the Canadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary Canada, June 2007. ##
[22]. Corredor Laura M., Maen M. Husein and Brij B. Maini., “Effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic metal oxide nanoparticles on the performance of xanthan gum solutions for heavy oil recovery,” Nanomaterials, Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 94, 2019.  ##
[23]. Silveira B. M. O., Lopes L. F. and Moreno R. B. Z. L., “Polymer flooding in a high salinity heavy-oil reservoir,” Brazilian Journal of Petroleum and Gas, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 35-51, 2018. ##
[24]. Rajiv D., Soroush M., Alexander D., Shahkarami A. R. and Boodlal D., “Polymer flooding application in trinidad heavy oil reservoirs,” In SPE Trinidad and Tobago Section Energy Resources Conference, Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2018. ##
[25]. Esther V., M. Van Haasterecht J. T., Masalmeh S. K., Faber M. J., Boersma D. M. and Gruenefelder M. A., “Pushing the envelope for polymer flooding towards high-temperature and high-salinity reservoirs with polyacrylamide based ter-polymers,” In SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Society of Petroleum Engineers, September, Manama, Bahrain, 2011. ##
 
Journal of Petroleum Research
Volume 29, 98-3 - Serial Number 106
September and October 2019
Pages 120-130

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics