Thixotropic properties and thermal stability of Xanthan Gum biopolymer solutions for Enhanced Oil Recovery

This study investigated the potential applications of Xanthan gum (XG) at different salinities and temperatures as a biopolymer-flooding agent for an enhanced oil recovery process. Rheological and thixotropical measurements were performed to realize the shear viscosity alteration when the polymer solutios applied under a variation of salinities and temperatures. The results showed that XG biopolymer solutions have non-Newtonian fluid characteristics like pseudoplasticity at each concentrations in any temperatures of ۲۵, ۴۰, ۵۵ or ۷۰ œC. Consequently, due to the beneficial and practical achieved results XG biopolymer flooding is a suitable and proper option under oil reservoir conditions.

Keywords:

Rheology , Thixotropic properties , Xanthan gum , Enhanced oil recovery.