Enhanced oil recovery performance and viscosity characteristics of polysaccharide xanthan gum solution

This study compared the potential applications of xanthan gum and hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) as polymer-flooding agents for heavy oil recovery applications under a range of salinity conditions. Rheological measurements were carried out to examine the change in shear viscosity when the polymer was applied under a range of reservoir conditions. The results showed that the shear viscosity of the xanthan gum solution was less sensitive to increasing temperatures and salinity than that of the HPAM solution. Accordingly, a xanthan gum injection is more effective than HPAM under higher salinity reservoir conditions. (C) 2014 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.