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Title: Responsive Copolymers for Enhanced Petroleum Recovery

Abstract

The objectives of this work was to: synthesize responsive copolymer systems; characterize molecular structure and solution behavior; measure rheological properties of aqueous fluids in fixed geometry flow profiles; and to tailor final polymer compositions for in situ rheology control under simulated conditions. This report focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel stimuli responsive copolymers, the investigation of dilute polymer solutions in extensional flow and the design of a rheometer capable of measuring very dilute aqueous polymer solutions at low torque.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Petroleum Technology Office, Tulsa, OK (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE) (US)
OSTI Identifier:
775021
Report Number(s):
DOE/BC/15111-2
TRN: AH200116%%412
DOE Contract Number:
AC26-98BC15111
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 27 Feb 2001
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
02 PETROLEUM; COPOLYMERS; DESIGN; GEOMETRY; MOLECULAR STRUCTURE; PETROLEUM; POLYMERS; RHEOLOGY; STIMULI; SYNTHESIS; TORQUE

Citation Formats

McCormick, C., and Hester, R. Responsive Copolymers for Enhanced Petroleum Recovery. United States: N. p., 2001. Web. doi:10.2172/775021.
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McCormick, C., & Hester, R. Responsive Copolymers for Enhanced Petroleum Recovery. United States. doi:10.2172/775021.
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McCormick, C., and Hester, R. Tue . "Responsive Copolymers for Enhanced Petroleum Recovery". United States. doi:10.2172/775021. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/775021.
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@article{osti_775021,
title = {Responsive Copolymers for Enhanced Petroleum Recovery},
author = {McCormick, C. and Hester, R.},
abstractNote = {The objectives of this work was to: synthesize responsive copolymer systems; characterize molecular structure and solution behavior; measure rheological properties of aqueous fluids in fixed geometry flow profiles; and to tailor final polymer compositions for in situ rheology control under simulated conditions. This report focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel stimuli responsive copolymers, the investigation of dilute polymer solutions in extensional flow and the design of a rheometer capable of measuring very dilute aqueous polymer solutions at low torque.},
doi = {10.2172/775021},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Tue Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}
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Technical Report:
View Technical Report (4.62 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/775021
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  • ;
    The overall goal of this research is the development of advanced water-soluble copolymers for use in enhanced oil recovery which rely on reversible microheterogeneous associations for mobility control and reservoir conformance. Technical progress is summarized for the following tasks: advanced copolymer synthesis; characterization of macromolecular structure and properties; and solution rheology in a porous media.

  • ;
    Advanced polymer systems that possess microstructural features that are responsive to temperature, electrolyte concentration, and shear conditions are being synthesized which will be superior to polymers presently used for mobility control in enhanced oil recovery. Improved polymer performance is accomplished by controlling hydrophobic or ampholytic interations between individual polymer chains in solution. The advanced polymers will circumbent major problems inherent in conventional EOR polymers in which molecular weight is usually compromised to allow sufficient solution viscosity and uniform reservoir permeation without plugging the porous media. Accomplishments are reported for the following tasks: quaternary ammonium cyclopolymer synthesis; characterization of molecular structuremore » and solution behavior; {sup 23}Na NMR studies of non-binding to anionic polyelectrolytes and solution rheology.« less

  • ;
    The purpose of this study is to extend the concept of micellar polymerization to more complex systems, and to explore the responsive nature of hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes by tailoring the microstructure. The synthesis of hydrophobically modified acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer is described. These types of polymers are of interest as thickening agents utilized in enhanced oil recovery.

  • ;
    The authors describe second year efforts in synthesis, characterization, and rheology to develop polymers with significantly improved efficiency in mobility control and conformance. These advanced polymer systems would maintain high viscosities or behave as virtual gels under low shear conditions and at elevated electrolyte concentrations. At high fluid shear rates, associates would deaggregate yielding low viscosity solutions, reducing problems of shear degradation or face plugging during injection. Polymeric surfactants were also developed with potential for use in higher salt, higher temperature reservoirs for mobilization of entrapped oil. Chapters include: Ampholytic terpolymers of acrylamide with sodium 3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanetrimethylammonium chloride; Hydrophilicmore » sulfobetaine copolymers of acrylamide and 3-(2-acrylamido-methylpropane-dimethylammonio)-1-propanesulfonate; Copolymerization of maleic anhydride and N-vinylformamide; Reactivity ratio of N-vinylformamide with acrylamide, sodium acrylate, and n-butyl acrylate; Effect of the distribution of the hydrophobic cationic monomer dimethyldodecyl(2-acrylamidoethyl)ammonium bromide on the solution behavior of associating acrylamide copolymers; Effect of surfactants on the solution properties of amphipathic copolymers of acrylamide and N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl-N-(2-acrylamidoethyl)ammonium bromide; Associative interactions and photophysical behavior of amphiphilic terpolymers prepared by modification of maleic anhydride/ethyl vinyl ether copolymers; Copolymer compositions of high-molecular-weight functional acrylamido water-soluble polymers using direct-polarization magic-angle spinning {sup 13}C NMR; Use of factorial experimental design in static and dynamic light scattering characterization of water soluble polymers; and Porous medium elongational rheometer studies of NaAMB/AM copolymer solutions.« less

  • ;
    Advanced polymer systems that possess microstructural features that are responsive to temperature, electrolyte concentration, and shear conditions are being synthesized which will be superior to polymers presently used for mobility control in enhanced oil recovery. Improved polymer performance is accomplished by controlling hydrophobic or ampholytic interactions between individual polymer chains in solution. Of special interest to our group have been (1) the elucidation of the mechanism of associative thickening and (2) the tailoring of thickeners with reversible associations responsive to changes in pH, ionic strength, temperature, or shear stress. A polymerization technique, termed ``micellar`` polymerization utilizes a surfactant to solubilizemore » a relatively low mole percent of a hydrophobic monomer in water for copolymerization with a hydrophilic monomer. In this report, we examine the role of surfactant-to-monomer ratio (SMR) in the reaction medium on microstructure utilizing the N-[(1- pyrenylsulfonamido)ethyl] acrylamide (APS) monomer as a fluorescent label. Comparison is made with previously reported terpolymers of identical AM/AA compositions with N-(4-decyl)phenylacrylamide as the hydrophobic monomer. Unlike the uncharged copolymer of AM/APS, however, the AM/AA/APS terpolymers of this study do not show intermolecular associative thickening, apparently due to insufficient liaisons of hydrophobic microdomains even at high concentrations of terpolymer.« less