Water treatment for

EOR

Class 11
Last class:
• Treatment systems

• Injection

• Disposal
In this class:
• Importance of water for EOR
EOR
• Water  fundamental for EOR processes
Polymer Injection
• Flood the reservoir with high viscosity polimers to “push”
the crude oil

• Water is the vehicle of the polymers

• Salinity and other conditions can affect the performance

of the polymers
Polymer Injection- Polysaccarides
• Biopolymer  xanthan gum

• Susceptible to bacteria degradation

• Salinity changes viscosity

• Dissolved O2 disuelto, at high temperaturas, lowers viscosity

• Neutral pH lowers viscosity

Polymer Injection - Polyacrilamide
Water treatment for Polymer injection
• Water as clean as possible solids and sipersed oil can
aggregate polymers

• Filtration  depends on specific requirements

• Corrosion  protected or plastic piping
• Biological control essential for polysaccarides
• Dissolved oxygen essential for polyacrilamide and
polysaccarides. Scavengers, cause problems
• Dissolved salts depends on the specific polymer
Injection Surfactant Polymer
Water treatment
• Exceptionally clean water

• High salinity water  diminish viscosity and stabilizes

interface

• Specific requirement vary depending on the surfactant

Alcaline Injection
• Alcaline pH lowers tensión in the oil-water interface

• Calcium, magnesium and iron ions, precipitate at alcaline

pH

• Salinity  usually at higher salinity less alcaline solution is

needed

• Treatent  remove compounds that can créate scale or

deposits, dispersed oil and balance salinity
CO2 Injection
Water treatment for CO2 Injection
• Similar conditions to resevoir confinement

• Attention to mix áreas to avoid corrosion

• Equipment protected for corrosion
In-situ combustion
In-situ Combustion
• Add water to form steam that enhances oil recovery

• No special treament, except the needed for re-injection

Steam Injection
• Heat oil to lower viscosity

• Steam stimulation steam is injected in cycles and oil is

produced in the same well

• Steam flooding  similar to secondary recovery (wáter

injection)
Water Treatment
• Most important to take care in avoiding corrosion

• In general, requirements the same as for re-injeciton

• Attention to scale formation (softening)

In this class:
• Importance of water for EOR

• General requirements

• Challenges
Next class:
• Water for boiling and cooling systems

• Surface facilities