Robert Tiner, Halliburton Services
The word "polymer" is used almost every day in discussions concerning the oil field. However, even though polymers are used in almost every phase of the drilling, completion, and production of oil and gas wells, they continue to mystify many oilfield personnel. Few people in the industry understand what constitutes a polymer or the properties exhibited by these polymers. This paper discusses naturally occurring," modified naturally occurring, and synthetic polymers* with application in drilling, lost circulation, cementing, damage removal, stimulation, water and sand control, and secondary and tertiary recovery. Polymer properties defined and discussed include rheology, viscosity, solubility, shear and temperature stability, chemical reactivity, adsorption, solids-suspending characteristics, and salt sensitivity.