UWs EORI Publishes Report on Polymer Flooding for Oil Recovery

A report detailing the potential benefits of polymer flooding the Minnelusa formation in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin is now available from the University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI).

Polymer-augmented waterflooding has proven to be a successful method for improving production in Minnelusa oil reservoirs. The new EORI report, which is available here, offers insights to make the technique more widely effective.

Advantages of using polymer include: low cost; prevention of early water breakthroughs; improvement in volumetric sweep and conformance; reducing water production; and mobilizing bypassed oil. Additional enhanced recovery methods can still be applied to the reservoirs after polymer flooding has been initiated.

Some of the cases presented in the report have shown substantial improvements in production and have exhibited chemical costs as low as $1.14 per incremental barrel of oil produced.

“Utilization of this method in additional fields throughout the state should be seriously considered as a means to improve production and economics,” EORI says.

The mission of EORI is to facilitate a meaningful and measurable increase in recoverable reserves and production of oil and natural gas in Wyoming that may otherwise not be realized. Key to this is the effective and efficient transfer of relevant technology, information and knowledge to Wyoming producers. EORI believes that its mission is being met when producers consider EORI as a vital source of relevant technology, information, expertise and knowledge for Wyoming fields.