Laboratory investigations in the use of polymers in low permeability reservoirs

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:7299631

Martin, F D

Carbonate and sandstone core plugs were flooded with aqueous solutions of acrylamide polymers followed by a water drive. Core plugs from a carbonate reservoir in Texas (porosity 12.3 percent, permeability to air 42.0 md, to water 19.2 md) were saturated with crude oil (viscosity at reservoir temperature, 3.6 cps at 115/sup 0/F) and connate water (about 140,000 ppM TDS, 13,250 ppM Ca/sup + +/ and Mg/sup + +/). A polymer flood containing partially hydrolyzed (18 percent) polyacrylamide, dissolved in lake water (about 1700 ppM TDS, 310 ppM Ca/sup + +/ and Mg/sup + +/), followed by more lake water, recovered 71.5 percent of the oil in place. The sandstone core plugs from a reservoir in California (porosity 17.4 percent; permeability 10 md to air, 3.9 md to water) were saturated with crude oil (viscosity 3.7 cp at 180/sup 0/F) and connate water (about 27,000 ppM TDS, 1125 ppM Ca/sup + +/ and Mg/sup + +/). A recovery of 62.5 percent OIP was obtained by a copolymer of acrylamide and a 2-acrylamido-methyl propane sulfonate, dissolved in ocean water (about 34,000 ppM TDS, 1600 ppM Ca/sup + +/ and Mg/sup + +/), followed by more ocean water. Additional tests indicated that the polyacrylamide penetrated low permeability (7 to 59 md) limestone, but not sandstone. However, the copolymer penetrated low permeability cores while the polymer of the same viscosity could not. Lower molecular weight polyacrylamides (which result in lower viscosities) can be used for very low permeability reservoirs. Dissolved oxygen adversely affects thermal stability of the polymer solutions. The addition of glyoxal increased the solution viscosity in oxygen-free polymer solution.

• OSTI ID: 7299631
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CARBONATE ROCKS
CONNATE WATER
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERSTITIAL WATER
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
POLYAMIDES
POLYMERS
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
WATER
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS