Experimental evaluation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and silica nanoparticles solutions for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract The establishment of oil production well is becoming a challenge with the increasing demand for energy. The fulfillment of energy need requires large production of oil and gas as it is a primary source of energy. EOR is also important because of the enhancement in oil production from thirty percent to more than fifty percent. The chemical EOR is one of the techniques for the increment in oil production. Chemical flooding using water-soluble polymers like partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) has been industrially used as an EOR technique. The paper deals with the effect of nano-silica particles on viscosity as well as the shear rate of the polymer solution. The change in viscosity, as well as shear rate, was studied at variable concentrations of the nano particles in the different concentrations of PHPA solution. Mutual correlation between viscosity and other parameters like temperature, shear rate, salinity, nanoparticle concentration, and polymer concentration was established using the statistical method.