Abstract
Several publications by authors in the field of petrochemical engineering have examined the use of chemically enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) technology, with a specific interest in polymer flooding. Most observations thus far in this field have been based on the application of certain chemicals and/or physical properties within this technique regarding the production of 50–60% trapped (residual) oil in a reservoir. However, there is limited information within the literature about the combined effects of this process on whole properties (physical and chemical). Accordingly, in this work, we present a clear distinction between the use of xanthan gum (XG) and hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) as a polymer flood, serving as a background for future studies. XG and HPAM have been chosen for this study because of their wide acceptance in relation to EOR processes. To this degree, the combined effect of a polymer’s rheological properties, retention, inaccessible pore volume (PV), permeability reduction, polymer mobility, the effects of salinity and temperature, and costs are all investigated in this study. Further, the generic screening and design criteria for a polymer flood with emphasis on XG and HPAM are explained. Finally, a comparative study on the conditions for laboratory (experimental), pilot-scale, and field-scale application is presented.
Highlights
Global energy demand continues to rise as a result of industrial and life developments [1].Currently, fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, play a vital role as compared to other sources in energy production
According to Sarem [102], when a polymer solution flows through porous media, its large molecules will adhere to the rock surface as they will not be able to pass through narrow pores
Specific studies were conducted using hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) based on its usability in other fields around the world, where it was later reported that the degree of hydrolysis leads to an increase in polyacrylic acid attached to the backbone, which increases the sensitivity to hardness and is the key factor causing precipitation at high salinity [22,127,128,129,130]
Summary
Global energy demand continues to rise as a result of industrial and life developments [1]. Large amounts of polymer molecules that are soluble in water are injected with the injection fluid to enhance the rheological properties of the displacing fluid Two of these include (1) increasing water viscosity for mobility control and (2) reducing residual oil saturation for better oil production [5]. The main physical and chemical properties of polymers include rheological properties of shear rate, shear stress, and viscosity Other factors, such as the effect of salinity and temperature, retention time, permeability reduction and polymer mobility, retention, and adsorption of the polymer, are key when it comes to the study of polymers. The second part of the review covers both the physical and chemical properties (characteristics) of specific polymers (HPAM and XG) In this part, rheological properties (shear rate, shear stress, and viscosity) and flow parameters (mobility, permeability reduction, adsorption, and retention) are covered. We present a summary section as a concluding note to the entire review
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