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 25, 40, 55 or 70 °C. Consequently, due to the beneficial and practical achieved results XG biopolymer flooding is a suitable and proper option under oil reservoir conditions.