Full-Field Polymer Injection Expansion: Integrated 3D Reservoir Modeling and Field Development in El Alba Valle-Argentina

Abstract After the successful results of first polymer pilot in El Alba Field-Argentina (started 2023) and earlier-than-expected response to polymer injection, the next step of the project is to move towards the expansion of polymer injection to other areas. The objective of this paper is to show the framework of the integrated study for 3D reservoir modelling, numerical simulation and the development plan for polymer injection expansion to the entire field containing 151 drilled wells, 1000meter of stratigraphic column and 64 years of production history with 12-years under waterflood. The success results of the first polymer pilot demonstrated substantial bypassed oil and earlier-than-expected response to polymer injection, significantly improving production profiles and avoiding channeling issues associated with water injection. We present an aggressive polymer injection strategy with infill wells and modular polymer injection plan, due to its high oil peak and shorter response time compared with the polymer pilot scheme (low Capital Expenditure, well spacing equal to existing wells drilled). This EOR plan includes the development of 3 new clusters or zones. The application of tertiary recovery techniques by polymer injection can significantly increase oil production in the field in terms of 5-11% OOIP and prolong its useful life. The pilot results showed a marked improvement in injection conformance and reduced water cut, validating the proposed expansion strategy. We created multiple 3D static models with different facies modeling algorithms that tested different degrees of the lateral connectivity of the sand bodies and their responses in numerical simulation to determine production forecasts for polymer injection. To develop the EOR Field development plan, we determined the sweet-spot polymer injection areas and the targeting main channels and well spacing using the in-situ oil tracers. We considered economic and facility constraints to unlock EOR potential. This paper presents novel insights into the effectiveness of polymer injection in fluvial reservoirs, demonstrating its potential to enhance oil recovery and provide a sustainable production strategy. The 3D modeling and numerical simulation results allowed us to conceptualize the expansion strategy for polymer injection across the whole field using the model (+60 polymer injectors), de-risking new formations in nearby fields and analogous reservoirs.