Comparative Study of Opuntia ficus-indica Polymers, HPAM, and Their Mixture for Enhanced Oil Recovery

This study investigates biopolymers as environmentally sustainable alternatives to par-tially hydrolysed polyacrylamide (HPAM), noted (H) in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Mucilage (M) extracted from the cactus plant Opuntia ficus-indica is an alternative to tra-ditional polymer solutions, aiming to reduce dependency on synthetic materials. The study also evaluates the properties and performance of a blend of 80% HPAM and 20% mucilage. The polymers were analysed using characterisation techniques, including thermogravi-metric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheological tests demonstrated favorable viscoelastic properties for the 80-20 blend in saline environments at a concentration of 10,000 ppm. Core flooding tests conducted on core plugs from Algerian oil reservoirs at 120°C indicat-ed that incorporating Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage and the 80-20 blend significantly improved flow characteristics and pore permeability compared to HPAM alone. Notably, the recovery factors were 63.3% for HPAM, 84.35% for Mucilage, and 94.28% for the HPAM-mucilage blend, highlighting superior performance in enhancing oil recovery. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of biopolymers and the blend as sus-tainable solutions for EOR. They offer an effective alternative to conventional polymers and leverage local resources in reservoir applications.