Bases Conceptuales de los Geles Poliméricos Nanocompuestos para el Control de Agua en Reservorios: Una Síntesis Sistemática

Abstract

Nanocomposite polymer gels represent an emerging, high-impact technology for water control in oil and gas reservoirs. Through a systematic review of the scientific literature, this working paper presents the conceptual foundations, mechanisms of action, and technological classification of Relative Permeability Modifiers (RPMs) and Disproportionate Permeability Reduction (DPR) systems. The sequential mechanisms of DPR are described—including the effects of wettability, polymer adsorption, steric hindrance, and swelling/shrinking behavior—and it explains how the incorporation of nanoparticles (nano-silica, nano-clays, graphene, metal oxides) overcomes the critical limitations of conventional gels in high-temperature and high-salinity environments. Five categories of water-control gels and three classes of nanoparticles are identified, and knowledge gaps that guide the RPM Project’s experimental research are highlighted.