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In the petroleum industry, SNF Canada's products are used constantly in many applications:
- Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in which an aqueous solution, whose viscosity is modified by moderate anionic polymers, is injected in order to displace the oil in situ. The molecular weight of the polymer is determined depending on the permeability of the reservoir and on the viscosity of the oil in situ.
- Drilling mud in which the polymers have several functions: viscosity modifier, filtrate reducer, bentonite extender, swelling inhibitor for water-sensitive clays, etc. Depending on their functions, polymers are chosen from a range of products going from low to medium molecular weights and from moderate to very high anionicities.
- Drag reduction, in which a moderately anionic polymer of high molecular weight is used, because of its cohesion properties, to reduce the frictions and turbulences when injecting water with a high flow rate.
- Water shut-off, in which the inflow of water into a well is blocked by injecting a polymer solution which is then gelled by in-situ cross linking. The water permeability of the reservoir is modified, without affecting the oil permeability, by absorption of the polymer on the rock.
Finally SNF Canada's products are normally used for more conventional applications, namely oil-water separation by flotation or centrifuging, and water treatment before re-injection or before discharge.
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