Pore-Scale Flow Fields of the Viscosity-Lost Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide Solution Caused by Sulfide Ion

The rheology of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) solution plays an important role in its oil recovery during polymer flooding. However, multiple factors in brine, such as sulfide ions, cause a dramatic loss in the viscosity and oil recovery. To better understand the sulfide-induced viscosity loss and the consequent flow mechanisms in pore networks, the morphology of polymer solutions with and without sulfide ion was observed by scanning electron microscopy; and the variations of the pore scale flow fields were demonstrated by a microscopic visualization seepage experiment combined with Micro-PIV (Microscale Particle Image Velocimetry). The results showed that, with the presence of sulfide ion, the microstructure of the polymer changed from a uniform three-dimensional network structure to loose and uneven floccules, which resulted in viscosity loss (over 70% with 5-mg/L sulfide ion). Moreover, higher concentrations of sulfide ions (5 mg/L and 10 mg/L) resulted in earlier shear thinning characteristics than those with lower sulfide concentrations. Due to viscosity loss, the average flow velocity in the main stream of the microscopic seepage experiment increased more significantly than that without sulfide. However, the viscosity loss alone cannot independently explain the severe viscous fingering during the subsequent post-water flooding, which was about five times greater than that of the primary water flooding in terms of the velocity ratio between the mainstream and margin. A further pore-scale flow field analysis exhibited an eccentric and a bimodal velocity distribution in the throat along the radial and axial directions, respectively. The former distribution indicated that the adsorbed polymer on the pore wall was broken through by hydraulic shear due to the collapsed structure caused by sulfide ion. The latter suggested that another sulfide-induced impact was an earlier-occurring non-Newtonian characteristic with a low shear rate. Therefore, instead of viscosity loss, elastic loss is the dominant mechanism affecting the characteristics of the aggregate flow field under the action of sulfide. Microscopic flooding combined with Micro-PIV is a feasible and essential method to reveal pore scale flow mechanisms.