Multiobjective Design and Optimization of Polymer Flood Performance

Abstract

The multiobjective genetic algorithm can be used to optimize two conflicting objectives, oil production and polymer utility factor in polymer flood design. This approach provides a set of optimal solutions which can be considered as trade-off curve (Pareto front) to maximize oil production while preserving polymer performance. Then an optimal polymer flood design can be considered from post-optimization analysis. A 2D synthetic example, and a 3D field-scale application, accounting for geologic uncertainty, showed that beyond the optimal design, a relatively minor increase in oil production requires much more polymer injection and the polymer utility factor increases substantially.