Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Oxide Polymer Solutions for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Low-Permeability Carbonate Rocks

Summary New experiments using polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer were performed to evaluate its potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications in low-permeability reservoirs. This is the first time that high molecular weight PEO solutions have been shown to have favorable transport in low-permeability (~20 md) carbonate cores and the first time PEO has been shown to improve oil recovery in a fractured carbonate core. Rheology measurements in synthetic seawater show the higher viscosity of PEO solutions compares favorably to the viscosity of acrylamide–sodium acrylate (AM-AA) copolymers of similar molecular weight because PEO is less sensitive to hardness and high salinity. Filtration experiments using 0.45 μm cellulose filters show very favorable filtration ratios of PEO with a molecular weight of 4 million g/mol, which is consistent with its favorable transport in low-permeability cores. Four coreflood experiments in Texas Cream Limestone (TC Limestone) cores demonstrate the viability of PEO for EOR in low-permeability carbonate rocks. Single-phase experiments show 4 million g/mol PEO solutions transported through 18 and 28 md TC Limestone cores. Oil recovery experiments show 4 million g/mol PEO solutions transported and was more efficient than waterflooding in aged TC Limestone with favorable retention of 40 µg/g rock. An oil recovery experiment in an artificially fractured TC Limestone core improved oil recovery by a remarkable 15% considering the very large fracture-matrix permeability contrast (>7,000). These experimental results as well as other favorable properties of PEO reported in the literature indicate PEO should be considered for some EOR applications, especially in low-permeability reservoirs.