Optimal polymer slugs injection profiles

TL;DR

This paper rigorously derives optimal polymer injection profiles for various models of mixing zones in polymer flooding, highlighting potential gains over finite slug profiles through analytical and numerical methods.

Contribution

It introduces a rigorous derivation of optimal polymer injection profiles for different mixing zone models in polymer flooding, considering viscosity functions.

Findings

Limiting injection profiles are derived for multiple models.

Potential polymer savings are numerically estimated.

Profiles depend on viscosity functions and model specifics.

Abstract

The graded viscosity banks technology (tapering) for polymer flooding is studied for several different models of mixing zones behavior. Depending on the viscosity function the limiting polymer injection profile is rigorously derived for the transverse flow equilibrium model, for the Koval model and for the Todd-Longstaff model. The potential gain in the polymer quantity compared to the profile with a finite number of slugs is numerically estimated.