# Study on Viscoelastic Characteristics of Polymer Solution Formation and Their Effect on Oil Displacement Efficiency

## TL;DR

This study explores how the viscoelastic properties of polymer solutions affect their ability to displace oil in reservoirs, showing that these properties improve heavy-oil recovery.

## Contribution

The study introduces a method to quantify the impact of viscoelasticity on oil displacement efficiency in polymer flooding.

## Key findings

- Polymer elasticity decreases with lower injection time or concentration and is strongest near the wellbore.
- Effective viscosity of polymer solutions increases with shear rate under high flow velocities.
- Viscoelastic polymer solutions outperform glycerol in displacing heavy oil, with efficiency linked to viscoelastic effects.

## Abstract

Polymer solutions exhibit radial flow characteristics upon injection into a formation via the wellbore. Accurately characterizing their viscoelastic properties at varying seepage velocities and quantifying their impact on displacement efficiency are crucial for advancing polymer flooding technology. This study simulated shear rate variations during polymer injection and integrated laboratory-measured viscoelastic properties with permeability characteristics in porous media. An analysis of the oil displacement performance between viscoelastic polymer solutions and a purely viscous fluid, glycerol, was conducted. The key findings are as follows: (1) Polymer elasticity, characterized by the first normal stress difference, diminishes with decreasing injection time/solution concentration. Significant viscoelasticity is observed near the wellbore, weakening in deeper reservoir regions. (2) The polymer type and injection conditions govern the development of solution “effective viscosity” during porous medium flow. A fundamental trend under elevated flow velocities is an increase in effective viscosity with shear rate. (3) Comparison with glycerol demonstrates that the viscoelastic effect of polymer solutions enhances heavy-oil displacement efficiency. The magnitude of this viscoelastic effect within the porous medium directly correlates with its contribution to improved displacement efficiency.