摘要
In the oil industry, techniques decreasing unwanted water production have drawn large amounts of interest from many companies. During water injection operations, water is injected into the oil reservoir to extract oil trapped in the formation. Due to the heterogeneity in the reservoir formation, oil production will decline and water production will increase as the injected water sweeps the high permeability zones. In order to flush out the oil remaining in the low permeability zones, many treatments have been used. One such treatment involves the injection of an SAP （superabsorbent polymer） into the high permeability zones. The swelled polymer will decrease the heterogeneity of reservoir permeability, thus forcing water injection into the oil rich, unswept zones/areas of the formation. Proper application of an SAP can have a dramatic impact on both the production and lifespan of mature oil wells. Successful treatment is reliant upon the reservoir salinity, temperature, and pH.
