Manufacture of polymers for improved oil recovery

The two main polymers produced for lOR, hydrolysed polyacrylamides and xanthan biopolymer, are produced commercially by quite different processes. Polyacrylamides are synthesised in industrial reactors and biopolymers are produced in industrial fermenters. In this section, a very brief outline of the industrial manufacture of xanthan and polyacrylamide is presented. This is intended only to give the reader a brief background knowledge of the processes involved in producing polymers for this application it is not intended to be in any way comprehensive or complete. 

A simple historical overview of the form in which polymers had been available for use in polymer flooding up to 1980 has been given by Akstinat 

POLYMER-IMPROVED OIL RECOVERY Early 1970s Around 1975 Early-Mid 1980s Future Targets 

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