Laboratory evaluation and numerical simulation of the alkali-surfactant-polymer synergistic mechanism in chemical flooding.

Alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding, which can reduce interfacial tension (IFT) and the mobility ratio between oil and water phases, has been proven to be effective for enhancing oil recovery in laboratory experiments and field pilots. However, the study of interactions within alkali-surfactant-polymers for chemical flooding is neither comprehensive nor complete until now. Laboratory experiments were conducted and a corresponding numerical simulation model was established to characterize multiple component interactions during the ASP flooding process.