Two-Phase Flow Through Porous Media: Effect of an Adsorbed Polymer Layer

Zaitoun, A.; Kohler, N.

doi:10.2523/18085-ms

Cited by 47 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In our case, we found h+0.49 mm, a value which is also in good agreement with previous results. 3 Capillary Pressure. The capillary pressure, measured as described earlier during the two successive imbibition cycles (Steps 4 and 9) are plotted in Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The delay of the front with respect to 1 PV provides a value of 97 mg/g, which is in good agreement with previous results. 3 The thickness of the adsorbed-polymer layer was estimated from the permeability reduction to brine at ROS. To estimate the polymer-layer thickness, h, we used the classic model of a bundle of capillary tubes for the porous medium.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If the drawdown on the treated well can be increased, then, in addition to the reduction in water production, the treatment can induce an increase in oil production. 1 Several researchers have studied the mechanisms involved in the action of polymer or gels (Schneider and Owens, 2 Zaitoun and Kohler, 3 Zaitoun et al, 4 Liang et al 5 ). They all found that polymer or gels are able to reduce selectively the relative permeability to water with respect to the relative permeability to oil.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This hypothesis was suggested by Zaitoun and Kohler. 3 These authors proposed a simple two-phase-flow capillary model within a cylindrical geometry to describe the effect of an adsorbed polymer layer at the pore wall. To complete this pore-level study, we are developing a numerical model where the pore consists in a periodic two-dimensional (2D) divergent/convergent channel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Control in Producing Wells: Influence of an Adsorbed-Polymer Layer on Relative Permeabilities and Capillary Pressure

Barreau

Bertin

Lasseux

et al. 1997

SPE Reservoir Engineering

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To determine modifications of oil/water two-phase-flow properties after injection of water-soluble polymers, unsteady-state flow experiments were performed on both water-and oil-wet (silanetreated) sandstones. The same imbibition cycle (water displacing oil) under the same conditions was performed on the same core, first without any polymer and then after polyacrylamide had been adsorbed within the core. The capillary pressure was measured directly along the core by use of water-and oil-wet semipermeable membranes, while relative permeabilities were determined from the measurement of the saturation profile (by gamma ray absorption), outlet fluid production, and pressure drop.The action of adsorbed polymer on relative permeabilities was found to be the same with both water-and oil-wet cores (i.e. a selective reduction of the relative permeability to water with respect to the relative permeability to oil). The trend was somewhat different for the capillary pressure. For the case of water-wet sandstones, the capillary pressure remained positive but increased dramatically after polymer adsorption. Because the polymer has little effect on the interfacial tension (IFT), this effect was attributed to the reduction of pore-throat size caused by macromolecule adsorption and to a possible improvement of the wettability of the core to water. For the case of oil-wet sandstone, the capillary pressure curve moved from negative to positive values, indicating that, in addition to pore-size restriction, the wettability of the core changed after polymer adsorption. This wettability change also induced a dramatic drop in residual oil saturation (ROS).

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Water Control in Producing Wells: Influence of an Adsorbed-Polymer Layer on Relative Permeabilities and Capillary Pressure

Barreau

Bertin

Lasseux

et al. 1997

SPE Reservoir Engineering

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show abstract

“…The effect of adsorbed polymer on the twophase flow has been intensively studied in the past within the framework of polymer flooding studies (Zheng et al, 1998). Most of the studies have been performed by twophase experiments in the cores (Zaitoun and Kohler, 1988;Chauveteau et al, 2002;Grattoni et al, 2004;Asghari, 2004, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Polymer Adsorption on the Oil Recovery during Polymer Flooding Processes

Lee

2010

Petroleum Science and Technology

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The influence of water-soluble polymer adsorption on the flow behavior and oil recovery was investigated. This article presents results from an extensive numerical simulation performed for a two-well model in a five-spot pattern operating under polymer flood followed by waterflood. For different systems of adsorption parameters, slug sizes, and reservoir properties performances were compared in terms of cumulative recovery and water-oil ratio (WOR) at the production well.Properties of polymers and reservoir rocks such as adsorption parameters and vertical permeability heterogeneity are shown to impact the predicted recovery. Improvement in oil recovery and reduction in WOR was obtained for smaller values of adsorption parameters. Polymer flood in reservoirs with a severe permeability contrast between horizontal strata leads to lower volumetric sweep efficiency and displacement efficiency. The size of the polymer bank also affects the predicted recovery.

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Pore‐Scale Flow Characterization of Polymer Solutions in Microfluidic Porous Media

Browne

Shih

Datta

2019

Small

101

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Polymer solutions are frequently used in enhanced oil recovery and groundwater remediation to improve the recovery of trapped nonaqueous fluids. However, applications are limited by an incomplete understanding of the flow in porous media. The tortuous pore structure imposes both shear and extension, which elongates polymers; moreover, the flow is often at large Weissenberg numbers, Wi, at which polymer elasticity in turn strongly alters the flow. This dynamic elongation can even produce flow instabilities with strong spatial and temporal fluctuations despite the low Reynolds number, Re. Unfortunately, macroscopic approaches are limited in their ability to characterize the pore‐scale flow. Thus, understanding how polymer conformations, flow dynamics, and pore geometry together determine these nontrivial flow patterns and impact macroscopic transport remains an outstanding challenge. This review describes how microfluidic tools can shed light on the physics underlying the flow of polymer solutions in porous media at high Wi and low Re. Specifically, microfluidic studies elucidate how steady and unsteady flow behavior depends on pore geometry and solution properties, and how polymer‐induced effects impact nonaqueous fluid recovery. This work thus provides new insights for polymer dynamics, non‐Newtonian fluid mechanics, and applications such as enhanced oil recovery and groundwater remediation.

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Two-Phase Flow Through Porous Media: Effect of an Adsorbed Polymer Layer

Cited by 47 publications

References 5 publications

Water Control in Producing Wells: Influence of an Adsorbed-Polymer Layer on Relative Permeabilities and Capillary Pressure

Water Control in Producing Wells: Influence of an Adsorbed-Polymer Layer on Relative Permeabilities and Capillary Pressure

Effects of Polymer Adsorption on the Oil Recovery during Polymer Flooding Processes

Pore‐Scale Flow Characterization of Polymer Solutions in Microfluidic Porous Media

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