Overview of In-Situ Gelation Behavior of Gel Systems in Porous Media

Abstract

Cross-linked polymer gel has been widely applied in profile control and water plugging due to its effective cost, wide suitability, excellent performance, and flexible gelation time. Previous research mainly focused on the bottle tests, reaction kinetics, and rheological properties of the gels, but the works of literature about the in situ gelations of gel placement in the porous media are relatively few. The study of the in-situ gelation behavior of gel systems is widely summarized in this paper, and the research tendency is proposed. The important practical questions, including the accurate lateral distance of gel placement, the variation of gel properties, and the injection pressure profile in the process of gel injection, should be resolved by laboratory and numerical research to enhance gel treatment success rate.