A novel recovery mechanism for polymer flooding in gravity-dominated viscous-oil reservoirs
- AEA Technology, Winfrith (United Kingdom)
The viscous oil and poor vertical sweep make these reservoirs possible targets for IOR with polymers. This study shows that polymer incremental recoveries can be high, well within the range of potential economic viability. The incremental recovery mechanism is not the usual improved Buckley-Leverett sweep efficiency resulting from correction of an adverse displacement ratio. A novel recovery mechanism is identified in which the polymer increases the ratio of viscous to gravity forces, reducing the water slumping. This leads to improved vertical sweep, recovering oil from regions of high oil saturation at the top of the reservoir. They simulated polymer flooding including temperature effects. Comparison of waterflood simulations including temperature effects with conventional isothermal simulations shows that, counter to normal expectations, isothermal simulations can underpredict recovery by >10%.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 136670
- Journal Information:
- SPE Reservoir Engineering, Vol. 10, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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