Fiber assisted re-assembly preformed particle gel for conformance control

Zhe Sun

Abstract

”In Enhanced Oil Recovery technology today, gel treatments have been implemented as a cost-effective method to improve the oil sweep efficiency in reservoirs by plugging the high permeability zones. This study presents a novel gel composition to be used in conformance control in order to improve oil recovery for mature oilfields.

The product is a fiber-assist re-assembly preformed particle gel which could be generalized to the preformed particle gels (PPG). The product developed in this study could be injected into the reservoir act as a conformance control agent by plugging water thief zones and channels in the beginning process. Due to the high temperature and the high pressure under the reservoir condition, the product will re-assemble into a bulk gel and would effectively plug the fractures or channels in the reservoir to improve the oil sweep efficiency in the low permeable zones.

The study synthesized an elastomeric gel with polyacrylamide crosslinked with N,N’MBAA, Zirconium Acetate, and fibers embedded. Synthetic parameters including the type and concentration of initiator, crosslinker, fiber, and other additives were adjusted to obtain the gel with the highest strength. By employing fiber as an additive in the re-associate preformed particle gel system, the mechanic strength of the product was improved”--Abstract, page iii.