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Determination of in-situ mobility and wellbore impairment from polymer injectivity data

Conference · · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6812941
A series of field injection and filtration tests is being carried out in the E. Coalinga field, California, for the purpose of determining injection characteristics of polyacrylamide polymer and 2 grades of biopolymers. The test data are being used to design a pilot project that will evaluate the relative merits of polymer flooding and waterflooding in the Temblor Zone II reservoir. The unconsolidated sands in the injection test well have an average permeability of 350 md and porosity of 28%, and they have 20' API gravity oil with a viscosity of 25 cp at reservoir temperature. It can be concluded under the conditions of the field tests that for the case of perforated completions: (1) polyacrylamide can be delivered to the sand face without severe loss of viscosity; (2) polyacrylamide will not impair the formation; (3) at the injection rate of the test (34 bpd/ft), polyacrylamide loses most of its mobility control by shear degradation at the injection well perforations; (4) the the introduction of an optimum level of shear in the biopolymer mixing process increases the mobility control available for a given concentration of polymer; and (5) currently available commercial biopolymers cause well-bore impairment so that effective filtration of the polymer solution is required to maintain injectivity.
Research Organization:
Shell Oil Co.
OSTI ID:
6812941
Report Number(s):
CONF-7404143-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE-4744
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English