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Analysis of reservoir pretreatment in chemical flooding: a literature review. [Preflush]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5230677

This paper is a state-of-the-art literature review on preflush for chemical flooding. A preflush can result in reduced surfactant consumption, improved slug performance, and/or increased reservoir contact. Chemical and physical processes which may occur during a preflush injection include the following: reduction in surfactant adsorption on reservoir clays, reduction in surfactant precipitation due to multivalent cations, and added mobility control to improve reservoir sweep efficiency. Reduction of sulfonate losses has clearly been found to be the most frequently identified purpose of a preflush. This goal is accomplised by means of fluid displacement, cation exchange, or other sacrificial replacement process. The literature review shows the laboratory studies to be the most valuable source of current technology. Field studies completed to date provide less up-to-date information presumably because of the greater time lag associated with a field project. The patents proved to be the least important source of information. 83 references.

Research Organization:
Exoil Services, Golden, CO (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC19-79BC10027
OSTI ID:
5230677
Report Number(s):
DOE/BC/10027-11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English