Next Article in Journal
Investigations of the Nucleating Agent Effects on Polypropylene of Pumice from Three Distinct Areas in Türkiye
Previous Article in Journal
Ternary Blends of PLA with ATEC and TMC-200 as Medical-Grade Biodegradable Monofilaments for FDM 3D-Printing Applications
Previous Article in Special Issue
Fabrication of Thixotropic Polymeric Gel System and Its Gelation Mechanism
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Polymers
Volume 17
Issue 21
10.3390/polym17212927
polymers-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Polymer Flooding in Space-Constrained Reservoirs: Technical and Economic Assessment of Liquid vs. Powder Polymers

by
Muhammad Tahir
1,*,
Rafael E. Hincapie
1,
Dominic Marx
2,
Dominik Steineder
1,
Amir Farzaneh
1,
Torsten Clemens
1,
Nikola Baric
2,
Elham Ghodsi
3 and
Riyaz Kharrat
3
1
OMV Exploration & Production GmbH, 1020 Vienna, Austria
2
OMV Austria Exploration & Production GmbH, 2230 Gänserndorf, Austria
3
Department Geoenergy (DGE), Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 Leoben, Austria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2927; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212927 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 22 September 2025 / Revised: 24 October 2025 / Accepted: 30 October 2025 / Published: 31 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Petroleum Engineering: Enhancing Performance and Sustainability)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of liquid polymer emulsions as substitutes for powder polymers in polymer flooding applications, particularly in space-constrained, low-permeability reservoirs in Austria. Rheological tests determined that target viscosities of 20 mPa·s at 20 °C and a shear rate of 7.94 s−1 were achieved using concentrations of 1200 ppm for liquid polymer 1 (LP1), 2250 ppm for liquid polymer 2 (LP2), and 1200–1400 ppm for powder polymers. Injectivity tests revealed that liquid polymers encountered challenges in 60 mD and 300 mD core plugs, with pressure stabilization not achieved at injection rates of 1–2.5 ft/day. Powder polymers demonstrated stable injectivity, with powder polymer 1 (PP1) showing an optimal performance at 10 ft/day and a low residual resistance factor (RRF). Two-phase core floods using PP1 and powder polymer 2 (PP2) at 1 ft/day yielded incremental oil recovery factors of approximately 5%, with a maximum of 8% observed for higher viscosity slugs. Economic analysis indicated that over a 3-year horizon, liquid polymers are 30% cheaper than powder polymer Option 1 but 100% more expensive than Option 2. Over a 10-year horizon, liquid polymers are 50% more expensive than both powder polymer options. Although liquid polymers offer logistical advantages, they are unsuitable for low-permeability reservoirs. Powdered polymers, particularly PP1, are recommended for pilot implementation due to superior injectivity, mechanical stability, and recovery performance.
Keywords: liquid polymers; powder polymers; injectivity; emulsions; pilot project liquid polymers; powder polymers; injectivity; emulsions; pilot project

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tahir, M.; Hincapie, R.E.; Marx, D.; Steineder, D.; Farzaneh, A.; Clemens, T.; Baric, N.; Ghodsi, E.; Kharrat, R. Polymer Flooding in Space-Constrained Reservoirs: Technical and Economic Assessment of Liquid vs. Powder Polymers. Polymers 2025, 17, 2927. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212927

AMA Style

Tahir M, Hincapie RE, Marx D, Steineder D, Farzaneh A, Clemens T, Baric N, Ghodsi E, Kharrat R. Polymer Flooding in Space-Constrained Reservoirs: Technical and Economic Assessment of Liquid vs. Powder Polymers. Polymers. 2025; 17(21):2927. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212927

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tahir, Muhammad, Rafael E. Hincapie, Dominic Marx, Dominik Steineder, Amir Farzaneh, Torsten Clemens, Nikola Baric, Elham Ghodsi, and Riyaz Kharrat. 2025. "Polymer Flooding in Space-Constrained Reservoirs: Technical and Economic Assessment of Liquid vs. Powder Polymers" Polymers 17, no. 21: 2927. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212927

APA Style

Tahir, M., Hincapie, R. E., Marx, D., Steineder, D., Farzaneh, A., Clemens, T., Baric, N., Ghodsi, E., & Kharrat, R. (2025). Polymer Flooding in Space-Constrained Reservoirs: Technical and Economic Assessment of Liquid vs. Powder Polymers. Polymers, 17(21), 2927. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212927

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop