Polymer-Flooding Pilot Finds Success in Previously Waterflooded Reservoir

Abstract

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 166255, ’Polymer-Flooding-Pilot Learning Curve: 5+ Years' Experience To Reduce Cost Per Incremental Barrel of Oil,’ by J. Buciak, SPE, G. Fondevila Sancet, and L. Del Pozo, Grupo CAPSA, prepared for the 2013 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 30 September-2 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. A successful pilot test of polymer flooding was conducted in the San Jorge Gulf basin, a mature waterflood with the presence of heterogeneous reservoirs and viscous oil under reservoir conditions. During the past 5 years, 3,200 tons of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymer was injected at concentrations of 1,500 ppm. The polymer flooding resulted in an increase in oil production to 100% and a decrease in water production to 50% in original central wells. Introduction The Diadema oil field is in the San Jorge Gulf basin in southern Argentina. The field has 480 producer wells and 270 injector wells. The reservoir being polymer flooded is characterized by high permeability (an average of 500 md), high heterogeneity (10–5,000 md), high porosity (30%), very stratified sandstone layers (4–12 m of net thickness) with poor lateral continuity (fluvial origin), and 20 °API oil (100 cp under reservoir conditions).