Gel
Polymer Treatments
The Tertiary Oil Recovery Project (TORP) at the University
of Kansas has a long history of research and field applications related
to gelled polymers. Gel polymer treatments are nothing new to the
midcontinent, however recent treatments in Kansas Arbuckle producing
wells are proving to be more effective in controlling water production
and increasing oil production than past treatments.
TORP is working with service companies and oil operators
to develop a database on the treatments conducted to date and investigating
areas where university engineers and scientists can be of assistance
in better defining where and how to apply this technology. Questions
looking to be answered include candidate well selection, treatment volumes
and modeling what actually occurs during and after the treatments.
Comparing recent treatments to earlier ones indicate several
differences. Recent successful treatments are using the MARCITSM
technology and much larger volumes of gel. Recent treatment volumes
range from 1,500 to 5,000 barrels versus the few hundred barrels historically
used. MARCITSM is the acronym for MARathon Conformance Improvement
Treatment. This polymer gel was developed in the mid-1980’s by
Marathon Oil Company and licensed to various service companies in the
early 1990’s. The MARCITSM technology consists of mixing
dry polymer [Cr(III)carboxylate/acrylamide] in water and crosslinking
it with chromium triacetate at the surface.
Since 2001, operators have treated nearly 250 central
Kansas Arbuckle producing wells with MARCITSM gel polymer.
To one degree or another, the wells have successfully responded to the
treatments. For some wells, oil production has increased from approximately
5 BOPD to over 200 BOPD for several days after the treatments (+/- 14
days) and has stabilized at between 10 and 30 BOPD for six months or
longer. For the same wells, water production has dropped from over 1500
BWPD in many cases to between 100 and 200 BWPD and has remained at the
lower volumes for a year or longer. Other wells have not responded as
favorably, but have still seen an increase in oil production and a decrease
in water production. In some cases no significant oil benefits are seen,
but water production is still reduced. Operators indicate that the $40,000
to $50,000 gel treatments in most instances pay out in weeks to months.
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