Study of Microscopic and Macroscopic Displacement Behaviors of Polymer Solution in Water-Wet and Oil-Wet Media |
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Authors: | Hamid Emami Meybodi Riyaz Kharrat Xiaoqi Wang |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA;(2) Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA |
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Abstract: | Performance of a polymer flood process requires the knowledge of rheological behavior of the polymer solution and reservoir
properties such as rock wettability. To provide a better understanding of effects of polymer chemistry and wettability on
the performance of a polymer flood process, a comprehensive experimental study was conducted using a two-dimensional glass
micromodel. A series of water and polymer flood processes were carried out at different polymer molecular weights, degrees
of polymer hydrolysis, and polymer concentrations in both water-wet and oil-wet systems. Image processing technique was applied
to analyze and compare microscopic and macroscopic displacement behaviors of polymer solution in each experiment. From micro-scale
observations, the configuration of connate water film, polymer solution trapping, flow of continuous and discontinuous strings
of polymer solution, piston-type displacement of oil, snap-off of polymer solution, distorted flow of polymer solution, emulsion
formation, and microscopic pore-to-pore sweep of oil phase were observed and analyzed in the strongly oil-wet and water-wet
media. Rheological experiments showed that a higher polymer molecular weight, degree of hydrolysis, and concentration result
in a higher apparent viscosity for polymer solution and lower oil–polymer viscosity ratio. It is also shown that these parameters
have different impacts on the oil recovery in different wettabilities. Moreover, a water-wet medium generally had higher recovery
in contrast with an oil-wet medium. This experimental study illustrates the successful application of glass micromodel techniques
for studying enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes in five-spot pattern and provides a useful reference for understanding
the displacement behaviors in a typical polymer flood process. |
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