Overview of Polymer Flooding
Overview of Polymer Flooding. Polymer flooding is one of the most widely used Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques, offering significant improvements in oil displacement efficiency, reduced water cut, and extended field life. Understanding its full scope—from theory to field application—is essential for optimizing project outcomes.
This page provides a collection of documents covering the entire spectrum of polymer flooding, including:
- Fundamental principles explaining how polymer flooding improves sweep efficiency.
- Technical reviews summarizing key research, field trials, and industry advancements.
- Guides and best practices for screening, design, and implementation.
- Case studies and field reports showcasing real-world applications and lessons learned.
Polymer Flooding – Status in 2023
A video from Randy Seright summarizing the current status and future directions of Polymer Flooding (2023).
A white paper from the UK Oil & Gas Authority
Randy Seright’s online course
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to polymer flooding for improved sweep and mobility control in reservoirs. It makes a distinction between polymer flooding and gel treatments. Topics covered include rheology in porous media, injectivity issues, polymer stability (mechanical, oxidative, chemical/thermal, microbial), polymer retention and propagation issues, and polymer flood design. A comparison of polymer flooding versus in-depth profile modification is provided.
You can download the complete presentation here, or download individual chapters by following the links below.
Polymer Flooding Topics
- Distinction between polymer floods and gel treatments
- Overview of polymer flooding
- Potential for polymer flooding viscous oils
- How much polymer should be injected?
- Rheology in porous media
- Injectivity
- Polymer retention
- Chemical/Oxidative stability of polymers
- Polymer flooding versus in-depth gelation
- Colloidal dispersion gels
- Can polymers Reduce Sor below that for waterflooding?
- Other approaches for mobility control
- Surface issues for polymer flooding
Open Access Book Chapter
Here’s a book chapter publicly accessible on InTechOpen.
The focus of this chapter is on polymers and their use to enhance oil recovery through the process known as polymer flooding. Emphasis is given to practical information relevant to field application(s) of polymer flooding. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief but thorough overview of key concepts necessary to understand this technology for its successful implementation in the field.
You can also check our YouTube channel for additional videos and podcasts and navigate the Polymer Flooding Guide for more content or our Academy for online training courses.