LAPSE:2024.0332
Published Article
LAPSE:2024.0332
Understanding Plugging Agent Emplacement Depth with Polymer Shear Thinning: Insights from Experiments and Numerical Modeling
Shanbin He, Chunqi Xue, Chang Du, Yahui Mao, Shengnan Li, Jianhua Zhong, Liwen Guo, Shuoliang Wang
June 5, 2024
Polymer-plugging agents are widely employed in profile control and water-plugging measures, serving as a crucial component for efficient reservoir development. However, quantitatively monitoring the emplacement depth of polymer-plugging agents in low-permeability and high-permeability layers remains a challenging bottleneck. Presently, insufficient attention on shear thinning, a critical rheological property for water shut-off and profile control, has limited our understanding of polymer distribution laws. In this study, polymer shear-thinning experiments are firstly conducted to explore polymer variations with flow rate. The novelty of the research is that varying polymer viscosity is implemented instead of the fixed-fluid viscosity that is conventionally used. The fitted correlation is then integrated into the 2D and 3D heterogeneous numerical models for simulations, and a multivariate nonlinear regression analysis is performed based on the simulation results. The results show that lower polymer emplacement depth ratios corresponded to higher viscosity loss rates under the same flow rate. An increase in the initial permeability ratio corresponds to a decrease in the emplacement ratio, along with a reduction in the fraction of the plugging agent penetrating the low permeability formations. The model was applied to the Kunan Oilfield and demonstrated a polymer reduction of approximately 3000 tons compared to traditional methods. Despite the slightly complex nature of the multivariate nonlinear mathematical model, it presents clear advantages in controlling plugging agent distribution and estimating dosage, laying good theoretical ground for the effective and efficient recovery of subsurface resources.
Keywords
component model, numerical simulation, plugging agent, profile control, shear thinning
Suggested Citation
He S, Xue C, Du C, Mao Y, Li S, Zhong J, Guo L, Wang S. Understanding Plugging Agent Emplacement Depth with Polymer Shear Thinning: Insights from Experiments and Numerical Modeling. (2024). LAPSE:2024.0332
Author Affiliations
He S: Oilfield Development Division, Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710021, China
Xue C: Petroleum Technology Research Institute, Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710021, China
Du C: Petroleum Technology Research Institute, Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710021, China
Mao Y: Petroleum Technology Research Institute, Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710021, China
Li S: Petroleum Technology Research Institute, Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an 710021, China
Zhong J: Qinhuangdao Campus, Northeastern University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Guo L: School of Energy, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100190, China
Wang S: School of Energy, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100190, China
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
12
Issue
5
First Page
893
Year
2024
Publication Date
2024-04-28
Published Version
ISSN
2227-9717
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: pr12050893, Publication Type: Journal Article
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2024.0332
This Record
External Link

doi:10.3390/pr12050893
Publisher Version
Download
Files
[Download 1v1.pdf] (10.2 MB)
Jun 5, 2024
Main Article
License
CC BY 4.0
Meta
Record Statistics
Record Views
16
Version History
[v1] (Original Submission)
Jun 5, 2024
 
Verified by curator on
Jun 5, 2024
This Version Number
v1
Citations
Most Recent
This Version
URL Here
https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2024.0332
 
Original Submitter
Auto Uploader for LAPSE
Links to Related Works
Directly Related to This Work
Publisher Version