Abstract
Polymer flooding is a chemical enhanced oil recovery method that improves the recovery of oil by controlling the mobility of water to oil phase. It uses polymer solutions to increase the viscosity of the displacing water thereby decreasing water/oil mobility ratio (Speight, 2013). The volumetric and displacement sweep efficiencies are positively affected by polymer flooding. The viscosity of the aqueous phase is increased due to the molecular size and structure of the polymer used. The main objective of this research was to study the ability of cornstarch (local polymer) to recover additional oil after conventional water flooding. The objective was successfully achieved by injecting four different unconsolidated samples (sand pack) with cornstarch solution at varying concentration of 500ppm, 1000ppm, 3000ppm, and 9000ppm. From the results of the experiment conducted, it was deduced that Cornstarch has the ability to recover an additional volume of oil about half the volume of oil recovered during conventional water flooding (i.e. if 50% of oil initially in place was recovered during water flooding, cornstarch can recover an additional 25% of the residual oil after water flooding). Also, higher concentrations of cornstarch reduce the recovery factor due to polymer adsorption on the rock surfaces which alters the rock wettability. To reduce the adsorption effect of Cornstarch, it is recommended that the concentration of Cornstarch be measured after the flooding experiments for a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism of cornstarch.
Highlights
Since oil production grows at a rate greater than reserve addition, there is a need to boost the reservoir energy, and this lies with sustaining production from existing fields
It is widely used since its inception in the 1960s, the main reason for its introduction is to remedy the problem pose by water flooding such as heterogeneity and high mobility ratio (M)
AIM/ OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This study aims at verifying the effect of using corn starch to improve oil recovery efficiency during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) activities
Summary
Since oil production grows at a rate greater than reserve addition, there is a need to boost the reservoir energy, and this lies with sustaining production from existing fields. In primary oil recovery phase, the hydrocarbon rise to the surface through the reservoir’s natural energy, and via artificial lift devices such as pump jacks. This is the initial stage for the extraction of oil and gas from a newly completed well set for production. The production of oil from Niger Delta sandstone reservoirs has advanced into the secondary phase and as time goes on there will be need to enhance oil recovery [5](Ogolo et al 2017) This method seeks to improve the sweep efficiency between the injected fluid and the fluids in-place [1](Carcoana, 1992, as cited in Alvarado, 2010). This unrecovered oil can account for a significant portion up to 70% of original oil initially in place (OOIIP), and as such if recovered can contribute significantly to the total revenue stream of the exploiting company
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