Optimal control of polymer flooding for enhanced oil recovery

Polymer flooding is one of the most important technologies for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This paper presents a development of the research on optimal control of polymer flooding. Firstly, an optimal control model of distributes parameter system (DPS) for polymer flooding is introduced which maximises the profit by adjusting the injection concentration. Necessary conditions for optimality are obtained through application of Pontryagin's maximum principle. Then the numerical solution techniques for this OCP are summarised which include direct sequential methods and dynamic programming. Finally, conclusion remarks and further research prospects are discussed.