Experimental Investigation of Polymer-Induced Fouling of Heater Tubes in the First-Ever Polymer Flood Pilot on Alaska North Slope

Polymer flooding is being pilot tested for the first time in the Schrader Bluff viscous oil reservoir at the Milne Point Field on Alaska North Slope (ANS). One of the major concerns of the operator is the impact of polymer on the oil production system after polymer breakthrough, especially the polymer-induced fouling issues in the heat exchanger. This study investigates the propensity of polymer fouling on the heater tubes as a function of different variables, with the ultimate goal of determining safe and efficient operating conditions. A unique experimental setup was designed and developed in-house to simulate the fouling process on the heating tube. The influence of heating tube skin temperature, tube material, and polymer concentration on fouling tendency was investigated. Each test was run five times with the same tube, and in each run, the freshly prepared synthetic brine and polymer solution was heated from 77°F to 122°F to mimic field-operating conditions. The heating time and fouling amount were recorded for each run. Cloud point measurement has also been conducted to find the critical temperature at which the polymer in solution becomes unstable and precipitates out. The morphology and composition of the deposit samples were analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. It was found that the presence of polymer in produced fluids would aggravate the fouling issues on both carbon steel and stainless steel surfaces at all tested skin temperatures. Only higher skin temperatures of 250°F and 350°F could cause polymer-induced fouling issues on the copper tube surface, and the fouling tendency increased with polymer concentration. At the lower skin temperatures of 165°F, no polymer-induced fouling was identified on the copper tube. A critical temperature that is related to the cloud point of the polymer solution was believed to exist, below which polymer-induced fouling would not occur and only mineral scale was deposited but above which the polymer would aggravate the fouling issue. The cloud point of the tested polymer solution was determined to be between 220°F and 230°F. From a practical safer design standpoint, we recommend a value of 220°F for operational purposes on the pilot site. The heating efficiency of the tube would be decreased gradually as more fouling material accumulates on its surface. If polymer precipitated and deposited on the surface, it would bond to the mineral crystals to form a robust three-dimensional network structure, resulting in a rigid polymer-induced fouling. The study results have provided practical guidance to the field operator for the ongoing polymer flooding pilot test on ANS.