Essentials of Polymer Flooding Technique

Provides an easy-to-read introduction to the area of polymer flooding to improve oil production

The production and utilization of oil has transformed our world. However, dwindling reserves are forcing industry to manage resources more efficiently, while searching for alternative fuel sources that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Polymer flooding is an enhanced oil recovery technique that improves sweep, reduces water production, and improves recovery in geological reservoirs. This book summarizes the key factors associated with polymers and polymer flooding--from the selection of the type of polymer through characterization techniques, to field design and implementation--and discusses the main issues to consider when deploying this technology to improve oil recovery from mature reservoirs.

Essentials of Polymer Flooding Technique introduces the area of polymer flooding at a basic level for those new to petroleum production. It describes how polymers are used to improve efficiency of "chemical" floods (involving surfactants and alkaline solutions). The book also offers a concise view of several key polymer-flooding topics that can't be found elsewhere. These are in the areas of pilot project design, field project engineering (water quality, oxygen removal, polymer dissolution equipment, filtration, pumps and other equipment), produced water treatment, economics, and some of the important field case histories that appear in the last section.

• Provides an easy to read introduction to polymer flooding to improve oil production whilst presenting the underlying mechanisms
• Employs "In A Nutshell" key point summaries at the end of each chapter
• Includes important field case studies to aid researchers in addressing time- and financial-consumption in dealing with this issue
• Discusses field engineering strategies appropriate for professionals working in field operation projects

Essentials of Polymer Flooding Technique is an enlightening book that will be of great interest to petroleum engineers, reservoir engineers, geoscientists, managers in petroleum industry, students in the petroleum industry, and researchers in chemical enhanced oil recovery methods.

Antoine Thomas holds an MSc in Petroleum Geosciences from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Géologie in Nancy, France (2009). He joined SNF in 2011 as a reservoir engineer dealing with Polymer Flooding project design, implementation and assistance, for various customers worldwide. In 2013, he spent part of his time in the R&D department, building the core flooding capacities for SNF and managing R&D projects in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and hydraulic fracturing. He moved to Moscow in 2018 to supervise the Oil & Gas business, from a technical standpoint, while maintaining contact with all SNF subsidiaries.