A New Method for Calculating the Relative Permeability Curve of Polymer Flooding Based on the Viscosity Variation Law of Polymer Transporting in Porous Media

Abstract

Relative permeability of polymer flooding plays a very important role in oil field development. This paper aimed to measure and calculate the relative permeability curves of polymer flooding more accurately. First, viscosity variation law of polymer in porous media was studied. Rock particles of different diameters and cementing agent were used to make artificial cores and hydrophobically associating polymer solutions were prepared for experiments. Polymer solutions were injected into the cores filled with crude oil and irreducible water. In the process of polymer flooding, produced fluid was collected at different water saturations and locations of the core. Polymer solutions were separated and their viscosities were measured. With the experimental data, the viscosity variation rule of polymer transporting in porous media was explored. The result indicates that the viscosity retention rate of polymer solutions transporting in porous media has power function relationship with the water saturation and the dimensionless distance from the core inlet. Finally, the relative permeability curves of polymer flooding were measured by unsteady state method and the viscosity variation rule was applied to the calculation of the relative permeability curves.

Simulation of Polymer Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery in Ghawar Field

“…The new k ro is a function of the original relative permeability (k 0 ro ), water saturation (S w ) and polymer concentration (C p ). The new curve for the relative permeability is illustrated in Figure 21, and it tends to reproduce the slight variations in the relative oil permeability reported by several authors [44,50,51].…”

“…The parameters in Equation ( 22) are taken from laboratory measurements, and C p is the polymer concentration. The polymer solution viscosity at zero shear rate depends on the polymer concentration and salinity and is defined by the Flory-Huggins equation (Equation (22c)), where A p1 , A p2 , A p1 and S p are input parameters and C sep represents the effective salinity for polymer [44]. The maximum shear-thickening viscosity can be described by Equation (22), where A p11 and A p22 are input parameters.…”

The Effect of Shear on the Properties of an Associated Polymer Solution for Oil Displacement

“…This result shows that the associated polymer exhibited completely different viscoelastic behavior after association than before association, entangling the molecular groups after shear damage, restoring part of the structural characteristics, and maintaining a certain elastic deformation capacity of the system [ 26 ]. This result also shows that, although the polymer solution injected into the formation was subject to shear failure, the elastic deformation of the system still produced greater elastic viscosity at the small pore throat when passing through the porous medium; thus, mobility control and a better oil displacement effect were achieved [ 27 ].…”

Study on Compatibility between Complex Mode Micropore Structure and Polymer Solution of Different Formulation for Conglomerate Reservoir

“…Most of the previous research has focused on the mechanism of recovery enhancement by polymer drives and the development of new polymers. For example, Jiang et al [28] viscosity variation law of polymer in porous media was studied, measured, and calculated the relative permeability curves of polymer flooding more accurately. Lu et al [29] demonstrated the relationship between the concentration and viscosity of polymer displacement agents and the effectiveness of displacement and proposed a method to improve the effectiveness of polymer displacement.…”