Optimization of the Methods to Develop Stable Polymer Gels for Water Management in Medium- and Ultra-High-Salinity Reservoirs.

Polymer gels suffer from a serious syneresis issue when exposed to high-temperature and high-salinity (HTHS) conditions, which limits their use as water-treatment agents in this type of reservoir. In this paper, the effects of the polymer type/concentration, deoxidizers, and stabilizers on the long-term stability of polymer gels were systematically studied; thus, the methods to develop stable polymer gels for two typical levels of salinity were optimized. The results show the following: (1) For a medium-salinity condition (TDS: 33,645.