  We study a heuristic, core-scale model for the transport of polymer particles
in a two phase (oil and water) porous medium. We are motivated by recent
experimental observations which report increased oil recovery when polymers are
injected after the initial waterflood. The recovery mechanism is believed to be
microscopic diversion of the flow, where injected particles can accumulate in
narrow pore throats and clog it, in a process known as a log-jamming effect.
The blockage of the narrow pore channels lead to a microscopic diversion of the
water flow, causing a redistribution of the local pressure, which again can
lead to the mobilization of trapped oil, enhancing its recovery. Our objective
herein is to develop a core-scale model that is consistent with the observed
production profiles. We show that previously obtained experimental results can
be qualitatively explained by a simple two-phase flow model with an additional
transport equation for the polymer particles. A key aspect of the formulation
is that the microscopic heterogeneity of the rock and a dynamic altering of the
permeability must be taken into account in the rate equations.
