Sensitivity analysis of polymer flooding in one of Iranian oil field: A case study

The Danan field is one of Iranian oil field located in Zagros mountain.The Danan Master Development Plan (MDP) represents a technical assessment of polymer injection, and recommendation for the development of the Danan field. In this study, we try to improve the understanding of the Polymer enhanced oil recovery process in order to optimize the operational strategy for Danan field. A series of cases were run to ascertain the injection rate and appropriate polymer concentration. The results showed that when the concentration of polymer was high (0.6 kg/m3) and injection rate low (1000-3000 Sm3/day), polymer flooding didn’t give high oil production as it was forecasted. It can be explained as a late introduction of polymer flooding where the mobile oil saturation is low and aquifer mainly affects production profile, and minor increase in oil production can be the result of a small effect of polymer in a close area to production wells. The oil recovery increased in the range of 0.5-1% and it allows us conclude that with the reservoir model on which the study was done; polymer flooding is not favorable for Danan field as Enhanced Oil Recovery methods.