Abstract
Polymer and surfactant flooding are widely applied processes in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in which viscous polymers or surfactants aqueous solutions are introduced in oil reservoirs to rise the recovery of the remaining oil. In this regard, one of the challenges of EOR practices is the use of efficient but low-cost viscosifier and surfactant polymers. This work is aimed at synthesizing a polyglycerol derived from the biodegradable and nontoxic monomer, glycerol, and evaluating the effect of its copolymerization on rheological and interfacial properties, which were tested in water and brine for the former and in the water/oil system for the last properties. The copolymers were synthesized using a polyglycerol backbone, acrylic acid, lactic acid, and oleic acid. The chemical structure of copolymers was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry (TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The viscosity and the interfacial tension (IFT) of polymeric solutions were tested. Thus, the viscosity and surface performance of the prepared polymer solutions in distilled water and brine were analyzed according to the structure of the synthesized polymers. The results showed that the synthesized polymers modified water viscosity and surface tension between water and oil. The developed polymers could be candidates for applications in enhanced oil recovery and related applications.
Highlights
Polymer flooding is an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique that consists in the addition of high molecular weight polymers—water solutions into the reservoir
Γ = 1:44 ∗ 10−7 ∗ Δρ ∗ D3 ∗ θ2: ð1Þ. It was developed polyglycerol-based copolymers synthesized in sequential steps for the obtainment of viscosifying and surfactant polymers
The copolymers were synthesized first with the prepolymerization of lactic and acetic acid and the subsequent copolymerization with polyglycerol. Esterification of this polymer with oleic acid led to the obtainment of a surfactant
Summary
Polymer flooding is an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique that consists in the addition of high molecular weight polymers—water solutions into the reservoir. The goal is to decrease the water/oil mobility ratio by increasing the viscosity of the displacing water leading to the improvement of recovery efficiencies [1, 2]. Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is the most extensively used synthetic and water-soluble polymer for EOR applications in the world and Colombia [3]. Despite HPAM’s favorable performance modifying water viscosity and its tolerance to shear forces during reservoir flooding, its performance is compromised by interactions with charged species in solution and by its sensibility to hydrocarbons and surfactants [4]. The use of synthetic polymers in EOR leads to environmental issues since nonbiodegradable polymers remain retained in the reservoir [5]. The current work focuses on the use of biopolymer-based EOR formulations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
