New Developments in Production Technology for Polymer Flooding

Abstract

Abstract After large scale polymer flooding in the field, due to the high elasticity and viscosity of the fluid, the efficiency and effective life-span of the producers (and injectors) decreased significantly, new technologies were developed. After polymer is produced, severe eccentric wear on sucker rods occur. To solve the problem, on the basis of theoretical and lab studies, techniques to reduce the normal force on sucker rods and control its eccentric wear were developed. Field practice shows that this technology has increased the average life span of pumping wells by 3 times. The effective time of conventional fracturing and acid stimulation of polymer injectors is less than 3 months. Therefore, technologies of resin-coated sand tail-in fracturing and surfactant stimulation were developed. These 2 new technologies have increased the effective time of injector stimulation by about 5 times. The above techniques are all used in a mass scale in the field with significant results; they can and are also used on conventional wells.