Modification of polyacrylamide (PAM) at harsh reservoir conditions with optimised polymer integration techniques (PIT)

Abstract

Polyacrylamides (PAM) and its derivative (HPAM) are widely used as water soluble polymers to produce stable gels in oil reservoirs to enhance oil recovery. These gels are prone to degrade due to hydrolysis at elevated temperature and salinity known as harsh reservoir conditions. Hydrolysis can be supressed and gel stability maintained by mixing the PAM with Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and -Acrylamido-2-MethylpropaneSulfonic acid (AMPS) as polymer integration techniques (PIT). A systematic study of these mixtures was performed and the optimum composition identified for operation at 90°C and 200000 ppm total dissolved salt (TDS).