Polymer solutions are used in chemical EOR processes to achieve incremental\noil recoveries through obtaining favorable mobility ratios. In the process, the\nin-situ viscosity is a key parameter for the polymer flood design, as well as the\nchanges in permeability due to the retention or adsorption (e.g.: plugging).\nUnderstanding the major causes of the plugging effects allows predicting injectivity\nproblems as well as optimizing project design. The objective of this\nwork is to use glass-silicon-glass micromodels in combination with tracer particlesââ?¬â?\nattached to the flooded fluidsââ?¬â?to qualitatively and quantitatively describe\nthe extent of permeability changes after polymer injection. Laboratory\nwork is performed in order to determine the physical properties of the polymer\nsolutions when they flow through porous media, such as the presence of\npermeability reduction/plugging of the micromodel. A statistical analysis of\nthe distribution and extent of plugged areas is performed and a study of the\npressure response during various injection stages will complement the study.\nA biopolymer (Scleroglucan) was tested and compared to a commonly used\npolymer, giving a direct insight into their pros and cons. Five different concentrations\nof polymers were tested and put into relation with their quantitative\nand qualitative amount of sort of called retention. The amount of adsorption\nwas determined experimentally in one case in order to draw the significance.\nBy exploiting the potential of GSG-micromodels in combination with\ntracer particles, it was possible to visualize the reduction of flow paths and its\nincrease during various injections for the first time. Expanding the working\nprinciple proposed in this work could provide further understanding of the\nbehavior of any polymers. The results obtained and workflow presented in\nthis work allow for additional understanding of polymer solutions behavior in\nflooding applications. Furthermore, the definition of optimized workflows to\nassess any kind of solutions in porous media and permeability changes is\nsupported.
Loading....