Enhancement of oil recovery by surfactant-polymer synergy flooding: A review

Abstract

With the depletion of conventional resources, it is necessary to enhance the recovery of remaining oil. The tertiary oil recovery chemical flooding is the most promising for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The use of alkali in chemical flooding produces fouling with the formation, which brings new challenges to chemical flooding EOR. So, alkali-free surfactant-polymer (SP) flooding is used as a new solution for EOR. The polymer makes the displacing fluid have a high viscosity and increases the swept volume. The surfactant can decrease the interfacial tension and emulsify the crude oil while the displacing fluid reaches the corresponding area. The synergistic effect of the two is more conducive to the recovery of the remaining oil. As a result, SP flooding is a more practical approach to enhance oilfield EOR. The research status of several surfactant and polymer types for EOR is reported in this work. According to the study, complex and anionic surfactants are better for EOR. For difficult formations, SP flooding is more suited because of the presence of polymers. Additionally, study analysis demonstrates that SP flooding and alternative polymer injection, when employed at the same cost, can enhance EOR and assist in resolving issues brought on by low oil prices.