A New Viscosity Sensing Platform for the Assessment of Polymer Degradation in EOR Polymer Fluids

Polymer degradation during Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) can have large impact on recovery rates during polymer flooding. In the field, few practical solutions exist to perform quality control/assurance (QA/QC) on EOR polymer fluids at surface and no solutions exist for measurements downhole. Here, we present the development of a miniaturized sensor that can be used to detect the onset of polymer degradation by measuring the viscous properties of EOR polymer fluids. The device was tested on samples collected from a polymer flooding operation. We describe its integration into wellsite portable systems and into an untethered logging tool for cost-effective routine measurements downhole. The sensors are based on millimeter-sized piezoelectric tuning fork resonators. The viscosity and density of the fluids was measured from the energy dissipation and the resonant frequency obtained from their vibrational spectra. The devices were specially designed for use in high-salinity polymer fluids. They were tested and validated on samples collected from a single well polymer flood trial. A miniaturized electrical measurement platform was then designed for use at surface in the field and for use in a compact untethered logging tool for quick and inexpensive deployment downhole. The devices were initially calibrated in the laboratory and then tested on samples collected from the field. These two field-collected solutions were used to preflush the formation before injecting surfactant-polymer solution and as a polymer taper to drive the injected surfactant-polymer solution, respectively. The obtained viscosity values correlated very well with those obtained from standard laboratory measurements. Therefore, the changes in viscosity due to reduction in the molecular weight of the polymer, as measured with the miniature devices, can be used to assess whether degradation has taken place. A miniaturized electrical measurement platform was then tested in comparable polymer fluids for use in the field and obtained comparable results. The platforms described here provide a simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly platform for the detection of polymer degradation in the field, thus providing valuable information in real-time during costly polymer flooding operations.