Further Investigations of Why Gels Reduce Water Permeability More Than Oil Permeability Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Summary In this paper, we investigate why some gels can reduce the permeability to water much more than to oil. This property is critical to the success of chemical-based water-shutoff treatments in production wells if hydrocarbon-productive zones cannot be protected during placement. We first briefly review previous findings and the validity of several possible explanations for this disproportionate permeability reduction. Next, we describe experiments that test the validity of a promising mechanismthe segregated pathway theory. This theory speculates that on a microscopic scale, aqueous gelants follow water pathways more than oil pathways. Our experimental results in cores support this mechanism for oil-based gels, but not for water-based gels. We also explore another interesting mechanism that involves a balance between capillary and elastic forces. Results from our experiments support this mechanism for flow in tubes and micromodels, but not in porous rock. Other mechanisms are also discussed.

published proceedings

  • SPE Production & Facilities

author list (cited authors)

  • Liang, J., & Seright, R. S.

citation count

  • 36

complete list of authors

  • Liang, Jenn-Tai||Seright, RS

publication date

  • January 1997