Wormlike Micelles as a Substitute of Polymeric Mobility Control Agent: Rheological Comparison

Mobility control is one of the most important parameter in chemical EOR. The partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides (HPAM) polymers are extensively used for it, but HPAM polymers are degradable at critical parameters of reservoir. High temperature, high salinity and high shear rates brought negative effects on their viscosity causing high mobility ratio between displacing fluid and in situ oil. Therefore, capable mobility control agent is required to overcome this problem. In this paper, Wormlike Micellar (WLM) solutions were aimed to be studied as an alternative to polymer. Two different compositional systems of WLM solutions were chosen and prepared in laboratory. Then rheological measurements were carried out to investigate the effect of shear rates and concentrations. Then performance of WLM solutions was compared with polymer, which is commonly used as mobility control agent in Chemical EOR. In results, WLM solutions showed excellent similarity with polymer, despite of their different chemical phenomena. The WLM solutions were found as flexible and unrestricted to the particular concentrations, though multi-components are involved in their compositions. The salt or co-surfactant was enabled in their compositions to adjust the viscosity of solutions. Besides, WLM solutions were easier than polymer to be prepared in laboratory. Based on these results, this study strongly supported WLM solution to be used as a substitute of polymer in Chemical EOR. Such as to combat