New Insights Into Polymer Rheology in Porous Media

Summary This paper clarifies the rheology of xanthan and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) solutions in porous media, especially at low velocities. Previous literature reported resistance factors (effective viscosities in porous media) and an apparent shear thinning at low fluxes that were noticeably greater than what is expected on the basis of viscosity measurements. The polymer component that causes the latter behavior is shown to propagate quite slowly and generally will not penetrate deep into a formation. Particularly for HPAM solutions, this behavior can be reduced or eliminated for solutions that experience mechanical degradation or flow through a few feet of porous rock. Under practical conditions where HPAM is used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), the degree of shear thinning is slight or nonexistent, especially compared to the level of shear thickening that occurs at high fluxes.