Improving polymer injectivity at West Coyote Field, California

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/13603-PA· OSTI ID:5922540

Shuler, P J; Kuchne, D L; Uhl, J T; Walkup, G W

This paper presents a case history where laboratory and simulation results were used to model a single-well polymer injectivity field test in the West Coyote field and to improve injectivity in a subsequent field test. The polyacrylamide used in the first test exhibited low injectivity. Laboratory studies were performed to identify the causes of low injectivity and to model the field test physically. Laboratory core data and reservoir properties were used in a mathematical model to calculate the polymer injectivity, which closely matched that observed in the field. The low polymer injectivity at West Coyote was a result of formation damage caused by the polymer and low-salinity polymer makeup water and the high resistance factor developed by the polymer. These problems were overcome by using a lower-molecular-weight polyacrylamide, preshearing the polymer solution before injection, and increasing the salinity of the polymer makeup water. These improvements resulted in a 50% increase in injectivity during the second polymer injectivity field test at West Coyote.

• Research Organization: Chevron Oil Field Research Co., La Habra, CA
• OSTI ID: 5922540
• Journal Information: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 2:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ACRYLAMIDE
FLOW MODELS
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
OIL WELLS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
POLYMERS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CALIFORNIA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FIELD TESTS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDRODYNAMICS
MICROEMULSIONS
OIL FIELDS
PERMEABILITY
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POROSITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
SALINITY
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ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
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MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
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PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
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WELLS
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