Reservoir Mechanisms of Polymer Flooding


Polymer flooding increases vertical sweep efficiency in heterogeneous reservoirs as the accompanying schematic shows.




Polymer flooding also increases the areal sweep efficiency of the water so that fingering is reduced.
 

 
 
 
Water hardness has a direct effect on viscosity. SNF’s laboratories and reservoir studies analyze the optimum polymer concentration in order to maximize oil recovery under different water softening conditions.




A simple sentence describes the major difference between polymer flooding and water flooding:

“MORE OIL IN LESS TIME”

Polymer flooding can deliver measurable results right from the start.






When compared to water flooding, the initial capital investment to implement a polymer flood is higher but the Return On Investment for a polymer flood should exceed that of water flooding.