Paper: MARATHON OIL COMPANYS EXPERIENCE WITH PRODUCED WATER CONTROL AND CONFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT USING POLYMER GELS

In this paper, Marathon's experience with the use of Cr(III)- carboxylate/acrylamide-polymer (CUAP) gel technology for use in oilfield conformance-control, sweep-improvement, and fluid-shutoff treatments, is discussed. Marathon has performed this technology on over 250 production wells resulting in the reduction of nearly 500,000 barrels per day of produced water. The CC/AP gel technology, which was conceived in late 1984, is characterized as having robust gel chemistry and as being insensitive to petroleum reservoir environments and interferences. This gel technology has been employed in over 1,600 conformance-control treatments worldwide. Highlights of field applications and results involving the CUAP conformance-control gel technology are presented.