HPAM Polymer for Waterflood Mobility Control in Mature Oilfields
Polyacrylamide-based HPAM polymer designed to upgrade conventional waterfloods, improve sweep efficiency, and extend the productive life of mature oilfields.
This HPAM polymer is formulated for waterflood mobility control in brownfields and late-life reservoirs. By increasing injection-water viscosity and improving conformance, it helps redirect flow away from high-permeability streaks and thief zones toward unswept, oil-bearing regions, delivering incremental recovery from existing assets with minimal surface modification.
Product Role in Mature Waterfloods
In mature oilfields, long-term waterflooding often leads to channeling, early water breakthrough, and high water cuts. This HPAM polymer converts a standard waterflood into a polymer-flood style operation, improving the water–oil mobility ratio, stabilizing the displacement front, and reducing bypassed oil.
Key Benefits
- Improves mobility ratio by thickening injection water at low polymer dosage.
- Reduces channeling through high-permeability streaks and fractures.
- Enhances sweep efficiency in mature and heterogeneous reservoirs.
- Extends useful life of existing waterflood infrastructure.
- Offers a scalable, field-proven chemical upgrade to conventional operations.
Typical Application Scenarios
Depleted waterfloods with high WOR, where marginal oil zones remain under-swept.
Strong contrast in permeability, requiring mobility control for better vertical conformance.
Fields with existing water injection facilities seeking low-CAPEX incremental recovery.
Technical Characteristics
The polymer is supplied as a free-flowing granular powder with high molecular weight and designed ionic character to suit common injection waters.
| Parameter | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Off-white granular powder |
| Molecular Weight | 5–22 million (grade dependent) |
| Ionic Type | Anionic HPAM (other types available) |
| Solid Content | ≥ 89% |
| Residual Monomer | ≤ 0.05% |
| Particle Size | 20–100 mesh |
| Working Concentration | 0.05% – 0.5% w/w |
| pH (1% solution) | Approx. 6 – 8 |
| Packaging | 25 kg bags / 750 kg jumbo bags |
Design & Implementation
Successful mobility control requires integration of geological, reservoir, and surface-facility understanding. Typical engineering workflow includes:
- Screening candidate patterns and wells based on water cut and remaining oil saturation.
- Performing core floods and rheology tests with formation water.
- Defining slug size, polymer concentration, and injection strategy.
- Planning phased rollout: pilot pattern → extension → field-wide deployment.
Solution Preparation & Injection
HPAM must be hydrated under controlled shear to unlock full viscosity and avoid polymer damage.
Typical Working Concentration
For waterflood mobility control, solutions are commonly prepared between 0.05% and 0.3% by weight, adjusted according to reservoir permeability, salinity, and target viscosity.
Field Monitoring Guidelines
- Track injection pressure trends and pattern injectivity.
- Monitor water cut, WOR, and oil production response over time.
- Observe produced polymer levels where sampling is available.
- Adjust polymer concentration or slug size based on pilot results.
At a Glance
- HPAM polymer for mature waterflood upgrades
- Designed for mobility control and sweep improvement
- Compatible with typical injection water systems
- Suited for pattern-scale pilots and full-field projects
Operational Advantages
- Uses existing water injection infrastructure.
- Relatively low incremental CAPEX vs. new drilling.
- Can be tuned pattern-by-pattern for maximum impact.
- Supports incremental oil without major process changes.
Storage & Handling
- Store in a dry, cool, ventilated warehouse.
- Protect bags from moisture and physical damage.
- Keep packaging sealed until use.
- Use dust masks and protective eyewear during handling.