A Study on Combination of Polymer and CO2 Flooding Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

AbstractCO2-EOR is used to sequestrate carbon dioxide (CO2) and enhance oil recovery. This paper presented a study on combination of polymer and CO2 flooding using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Crude oil distribution and saturation images were recorded. The fundamental characteristics of the flooding process, such as the piston-like displacement front, the phenomena of channeling and fingering, homogenization of the oil saturation distribution with CO2 injection, and the distribution of oil in porous media, can be accurately detected from MRI images. It was shown that mobility ratio can be improved with increasing concentration and viscosity of polymer solution. Supercritical CO2 displacement can enhance oil recovery evidently and reduce consumption of polymer solution compared with polymer flooding. In addition, it can make up for the shortage of polymer displacement and homogenize the oil saturation distribution in the bead-pack core. Above all, this study indicated that the combination of polymer and CO2 flooding was viable and highly efficient