Book Description

The general objectives of the research program are to (1) identify and develop gelled polymer systems which have potential to improve reservoir conformance of fluid displacement processes, (2) determine the performance of these systems in bulk and in porous media, and (3) develop methods to predict their performance in field applications. The research focuses on three types of gel systems-an aqueous polysaccharide (KUSPI) that gels as a function of pH, polyacrylamide or xanthan crosslinked by CR(III) and a polyacrylamide-aluminum citrate system. Work to date has focused primarily on development of a database, selection of systems, and work to characterize the gel/polymer physical properties and kinetics. The use of ester hydrolysis to control the rate of pH change of a gel system has been investigated and this approach to gel-time control shows promise. Extensive kinetic data were taken on the uptake of CR(III) oligomers by polyacrylamide. A model was developed which describes very well the monomer uptake rates. The model described the dimer uptake data less well and the trimer uptake data poorly. Studies of the flow and gelation in rock materials have been initiated. A mathematical model of rock-fluid interaction during flow of high pH solutions has been developed.