Synthesis and Optimization of Viscosity-controlling Copolymers and Terpolymers Resistant to Salinity

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Petroleum and Geo-Energy Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Petroleum Engineering Research Institute, Upstream Industries Development Campus, Petroleum Industry Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Oil and gas well drilling operations depend on various factors, and due to their importance, drilling fluids account for about 20% of the total cost of drilling operations. Due to the continuous development of oil and gas fields, the drilling additives market is also expanding every year. Moreover, viscosifier is one of the main additives used in drilling fluids, which greatly contribute to improving drilling speed and cuttings movement. On the other hand, the process of increasing chemical recovery of low-pressure reservoirs is also carried out with the help of this group of materials. In recent years, the use of polymer materials has grown significantly due to their controllable chemical structure and desirable properties, and synthetic polymers are more attractive due to the problems of natural polymers. Furthermore, one of the important points regarding viscosifiers used in the oil industry is the unfavorable operating conditions, including the presence of salt in the structure of the drilling fluid, which causes a sharp decrease in the properties of polymers. In this study, synthetic polymers based on acrylamide were made, and effective factors such as the type and ratio of raw materials, synthesis methods, hydrolysis of the polymer structure, and the use of secondary monomers were evaluated and investigated. Finally, a synthetic terpolymer (polymer with 3 monomers) with a combination of acrylamide, acrylic acid, and 2-acrylamido 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid with a ratio of 15:25:60 showed the best results in the presence of a 4% salt water solution.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Petroleum Research
Volume 35, 1404-4 - Serial Number 143
November and December 2025
Pages 19-33

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