Candidate and chemical selection guidelines for relative permeability modification (RPM) treatments

Water shutoff treatments with polymers that selectively reduce the water permeability can be effective at reducing water production from hydrocarbon wells that cannot be treated with conventional approaches. This paper describes the elaboration of understanding-based rules for candidate and chemical selection to guide the application of this technology in the field. These rules are based on an analysis of the principal operative issues and on experimental and simulation studies that explore the physical and chemical mechanisms governing treatment efficacy.