Analyzing Polymer Flooding Strategies for Enhanced Profitability in Water Cut Management: A Case Study of a Sandstone Field in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Abstract The application of polymer flooding is under investigation to control water-cut and recover residual oil from a giant sandstone reservoir in Kazakhstan, where the water-cut in most producers exceeds 90 %. This study investigated an innovative approach to optimize mobility control through changes in polymer injection mode. Slug-wise and tapered polymer flooding techniques were examined to assess the feasibility of achieving effective mobility control with reduced polymer quantities and cost. Additionally, the study explored altering the polymer solution temperature to activate the synergy of mobility control and thermal effects. Incremental recovery values achieved through these methods were compared to conventional polymer flooding. Slug-wise polymer injection yielded an oil-to-polymer ratio 16 times higher than conventional flooding, while tapered flooding resulted in a 38 % OOIP incremental oil recovery with 81 % lower polymer consumption. Hot polymer flooding improved incremental recovery by 4 % compared to conventional flooding. These results indicate significant cost savings, especially with tapered and slug-wise techniques, emphasizing their economic advantages. Applying hybrid enhanced oil recovery mechanisms presents an opportunity to reduce project costs. For instance, achieving comparable results with lower chemical concentrations is of practical significance. The potential impact of this work on enhancing the profitability of chemical enhanced oil recovery within the sandstone reservoir under study is critical for the oil company.