Development of pickering emulsified polymeric gel system for conformance control in high temperature reservoirs

Abstract In the matured oil fields, the water production beyond the economical limits is a serious concern for oil and gas industry. The use of polymer gel systems for water production control is a reliable method, but has its own major complications. The major problem associated with polymer gel is the blocking of oil-producing zones along with other water producing zones. To solve this problem an organically cross-linked emulsified polymer gel system (Pickering emulsion) was proposed in this research article. The emulsion was supposed to break into aqueous phase and oleic phase encountering reservoir conditions. The aqueous phase was temperature triggered and converted into a gel in the pore spaces, which reduces the relative permeability to water. Whereas, the oleic phase forms thin film and provides a smooth channel for oil flow in the porous media. The prepared pickering emulsion was characterized and tested using confocal microscope, dilution test and emulsion droplet size distribution, etc. The effectiveness of the prepared emulsified gel was tested and analyzed by core-flooding experiments at 105 °C. The CT (tomographic) images of the core samples were also analyzed to clearly understand the effect of the emulsified gel on the core matrix. The core flooding experiments showed that the developed emulsified gel systems provide effective conformance control even at higher temperatures and found to be effective even in highly fractured reservoirs.