Investigation of the application of gelled polymer systems for permeability modification in pertroleum reservoirs: Second annual report, October 1986--September 1987

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:10102010

Willhite, G P; Green, D W; Thiele, J L; Young, Teng-Shau; Mertes, K B

Research is reported for the second year of an integrated research program to improve the performance and predictability of in situ gelation processes designed to alter the permeability of porous rocks. The research is focused on physical and chemical description of gelling systems, experimental studies of in situ gelation, and development of correlations and/or mathematical models for the design of in situ gelling processes. Physical characterization studies resulted in determination of long-term swelling and syneresis properties of Cr(III)/xanthan gum and Cr(III)-PAAM (polyacrylamide) gels and measurement of molecular weight distributions of PAAM and hydrolyzed PAAM in Berea core effluents. The gelation behavior of emulsion polyacrylamides was examined. An empirical rate expression for the kinetics of the reaction between Cr(III) and an unhydrolyzed polyacrylamide was developed. Characteristics of several chrome/polymer gelling systems were studied under oscillatory shear and superposition of steady and oscillatory shear. In our studies of in situ gelation, an experimental program to determine the flow characteristics of biopolymer in unconsolidated sandpacks was completed. Empirical correlations were developed between polymer concentration and the power law parameters required to estimate polymer flow characteristics. Research was completed on the in situ gelation of a thiourea/Cr(VI)/cationic polyacrylamide system in unconsolidated sandpacks. Preliminary results were obtained on the long-term stability of Cr(III)/xanthan gels under continued water injection. Research on the aluminum citrate process of permeability modification was focused on adsorption and desorption studies of aluminum on silica sand and crushed Berea sandstone core material.

• Research Organization: Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-85BC10843
• OSTI ID: 10102010
• Report Number(s): DOE/BC/10843-10; ON: DE88001250
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Nov 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
GELATION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
POLYMERS
RESERVOIR ROCK
PERMEABILITY
ENHANCED RECOVERY
GELS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
SAND
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
CHROMIUM
XANTHUM GUM
SWELLING
POLYAMIDES
THIOUREA
PROGRESS REPORT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RHEOLOGY
CITRATES
POROUS MATERIALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
020300
400201
DRILLING AND PRODUCTION
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES