Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

THE EFFECTS OF MOBILITY RATIO

ON THE EFFICIENCY OF GEL
EMPLACEMENT
Sugiatmo Kasmungin
Azman Ikhsan
Siew Wu Yow
Ahmad Kamal Idris
Enhanced Oil Recovery/Iimproved Oil Recovery Group
Petroleum Engineering Department
Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
81310 UTM, Skudai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

INTRODUCTION

Polymer gels are used to plug the water channels

and block the water flows in the porous media
Lack of understanding of the mechanism of gel
emplacement leads to poor efficiency of gel
emplacement in field applications
Polymer gels reduce the permeability to water
more than the permeability to oil
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

WATER AND OIL FLOWS IN GEL

(Dawe and Zhang, 1994)

Water flows through the water based gel as

diffusion
Immiscible oil forms droplets when
penetrates through the gel
The oil droplets flow as fingering
Gel has higher resistance to oil compared to
water
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

THE EFFECTS OF WETTABILITY ON

PERMEABILITY REDUCTION
(Nilson,Stavland and Jonsbraten,1998)

In the oil-wet pore, water-based HPAM gel

will be formed in the center of the pore
The volume of the gel reduced due to
syneresis (the acrylamide group hydrolyzed
and reacts with the divalent cations)
The remaining gel will block the flow of the
water more than the oil because the oil can
flow along the pore surface
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Matrix
Oil
Water

Ge
l

Figure1: Gel on the center of the pore

reduces permeability of water more than
permeability of oil
(Nilson,Stavland and Jonsbraten,1998)
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

THE EFFECTS OF WETTABILITY ON

PERMEABILITY REDUCTION (CONT)

In the water-wet pore, water-based gel

flows along the pore surface
The residual oil droplet formed in the center
of the pore restricts the flow of the water
Gel will be formed between the water layer
and the oil droplet
Gel reduces both the permeability of water
and oil
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Matri
x

Water

Gel

Oil

Figure 2: Gel forms between water layer and

oil droplet reduces both permeability
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

MOBILITY CONTROL

Mobility ratio:

w
o

kw

ko

w
o

Mobility of the polymer can be improved

by increasing the viscosity of the solution
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

MODEL

Dimension: 11.3 cm x 5.4 cm x 0.05 cm

Pore size: 60 to 250 m
Coordinate number: 3 to 4
Pore volume: 1.2 ml
Absolute permeability: 2.8 D
Porosity: 40%
Wettability: Water wet
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Figure 3: Micromodel
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

METHODOLOGY
Polymer solutions with viscosity of 20 cp and 54 cp
are prepared by dissolving 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm
polyacrylamide in 1000 ppm Na+ and 200 ppm Cr3+
The model is saturated with brine (1000 ppm Na+) at
0.34 ml/min
Oil is injected at 0.15 ml/min followed by brine at
0.34 ml/min
This condition is set as the initial condition for every
test run
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

METHODOLOGY (CONT)
Polymer gel solution of 20 cp is injected at 0.15
ml/min
The flow mechanism of the gel solution is
observed through the microscope and be recorded
Experiment is repeated by using polymer gel
solution of 54 cp
Injection rate is maintained at 0.15 ml/min
The flow mechanism of the gel solution is
observed and be compared with the previous result
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Type of fluids

Brine

Oil

Polymer 1

Polymer 2

Concentration (ppm)

1000

1000

2000

Viscosity (cp)

1.0

3.35

20

54

Permeability (D)

2.8

2.06

6.84

15.1

Injection rate (ml/min)

0.34

0.15

0.15

0.15

Pressure drop (atm)

0.085

0.170

0.306

0.374

Mobiliti,

2.80

0.61

0.34

0.28

4.59

0.56

0.46

Mobiliti ratio,
M

solution
oil

September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS (CONT)

Water-based polymer flows along the pore

surface as wetting phase, water
There are areas inaccessible to gel solution
of 20 cp (mobility ratio of 0.56)
Oil can flow easier in these areas compared
to water (permeability of oil is higher)
These areas can be penetrated by gel
solution of 54 cp, which is more viscous
(mobility ratio of 0.46)
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Oil

Matrix

75 m

Polymer gel

Figure 4: Polymer flows along the surface as

wetting phase, water
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Polymer flows
in water
channel
Inaccessible region
of the polymer of 20
cp

120 m

Water

Matrix
Oil

Figure 5: Inaccessible region of polymer of 20 cp

September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

Polymer of 54 cp
Regions preferred
by oil penetrated by
polymer having
better mobility ratio
(0.46)

Water
channel
120 m
Matrix

Oil

Figure 6: Regions preferred by oil penetrated by

polymer of 54 cp
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

CONCLUSIONS
With improvement in the mobility ratio, gel
solution can penetrate into pores with
higher oil permeability, thus improving the
efficiency of gel emplacement
Oil in the pores with higher oil permeability
can be penetrated by gel solution of better
mobility ratio
September 11-12,

Johor Bahru, Somche 2001

THANK YOU

September 11-12,