Effects of Polymers and Alkaline on Recovery Improvement from Fractured Models

Authors: Payam Parvasi, Mohammad Hossein Sedaghat, Reza Janamiri, Amir Hatampour

Abstract:

In this work, several ASP solutions were flooded into fractured models initially saturated with heavy oil at a constant flow rate and different geometrical characteristics of fracture. The ASP solutions are constituted from 2 polymers i.e. a synthetic polymer, hydrolyzed polyacrylamide as well as a biopolymer, a surfactant and 2types of alkaline. The results showed that using synthetic hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymer increases ultimate oil recovery; however, type of alkaline does not play a significant rule on oil recovery. In addition, position of the injection well respect to the fracture system has remarkable effects on ASP flooding. For instance increasing angle of fractures with mean flow direction causes more oil recovery and delays breakthrough time. This work can be accounted as a comprehensive survey on ASP flooding which considers most of effective factors in this chemical EOR method.

Keywords: ASP Flooding, Fractured System, Displacement, Heavy Oil.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1331283

References:

[1] Nelson, R., Lawson, J., Thigpen, D. and Stegemeier, G. (1984) Cosurfactant-enhanced alkaline flooding.SPE/DOE Fourth Symposium on Enhanced Oil Recovery, Tulsa, 15-18 April.
[2] Healy, R. and Reed, R. (1977) Immisciblemicroemulsion flooding. Old SPE Journal, 17(2), pp. 129-139.
[3] Pope, G., Wang, B. and Tsaur, K. (1979) A sensitivity study of micellar/polymer flooding. Old SPE Journal, 19(6), pp. 357- 368.
[4] Sedaghat, M. H., Morshedi, S., Ghazanfari, M. H., Masihi, M., Rashtchian, D., Rashtchian, D., "Experimental Investigation of Polymer Flooding in Fractured Heavy Oil Reservoirs Using Micromodel Systems", The 7th Chemical Engineering Congress & Exhibition (ICHEC 2011), Kish Island, Iran, 2011.