Chapter 13 - Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer Flooding

Abstract

Alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding is the combination of alkaline flooding, surfactant flooding, and polymer flooding. Its displacement mechanisms are consequently the combination of those individual processes. This chapter focuses on the practical issues of the alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) process. A study on oil-recovery capacity of polymer, alkaline-polymer (AP), and ASP provided evidence that ASP was the most efficient approach, demonstrating the synergy of alkali, surfactant, and polymer floods. The effect of alcohol on alkaline-surfactant (AS) compatibility, and the effects of alkali, surfactant, and polymer in ASP systems have been examined by various studies. Factors affecting phase separation, interfacial tension, and wettability in ASP are discussed. Some of the problems associated with ASP include chromatographic separation, precipitation, scaling, formation damage, and the problems caused by produced emulsion. The chapter presents eleven field pilot and application examples of ASP to summarize the methods used, lessons learned, and the observations made. Furthermore, the chapter presents discussion on emulsion, which has become an important subject in chemical flooding.