Preliminary evaluation of amphiphilic block polyelectrolytes as potential flooding agents for low salinity chemical enhanced oil recovery

Amphiphilic block polyelectrolytes are known for their remarkable thickening properties in water solution, originating from ability to self-assemble into large micellar aggregates. This makes them promising flooding agent chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR). However, the best of our knowledge, they have not yet been directly investigated this purpose. In work, a survey relevant EOR (rheology, filterability and emulsification), laboratory scale experiments, were performed on solutions polystyrene-block-poly(methacrylic acid) amphiphilic polyelectrolytes, compared with commercial partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), evaluate real potential applications first time. It was found that copolymers low salinity brine (0.2% concentration NaCl) is remarkably higher than HPAM at comparable weight shear viscosity, despite much lower molecular weight. Effect emulsification studied polymers also preliminarily investigated. Our results suggest mechanism these differs traditional polymer flooding, possibly due oil. conclusion, show promise as agents flooding.