Paper: New Polymer Treatment Increase Oil Recovery and Profits

Field performance of polymer pilot projects in North Texas, the Illinois Basin and Kansas is summarized. Although the projects represent a good cross section of reservoir characteristics and fluid properties, certain injection side changes and production responses fit a pattern. The same type of polymer was used in all cases. Extra oil, resulting from polymer treatment, is compared with the total cost of each treatment program to arrive at a cost for "Polymer Oil". To date, the four projects have produced a total of 65,100 bbl of extra "Polymer Oil" at an average cost of 29c/bbl. Ultimate "Polymer Oil" recovery is estimated at 261,000 bbl or 8.5 percent of the total oil in place at the start of secondary.