Patent · US Expired

Oil recovery method using in situ-partitioning surfactant flood systems

US4079785A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
11References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1977
Grant dateMar 21, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S507/938
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Samples of oil from a formation to be flooded are equilibrated with a series of surfactant systems comprising a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, a cosurfactant having limited solubility in water and brine. By using sulfonates having an equivalent weight within the range of 375 to 500 and using cosurfactants having a solubility in water varying from 0.5 to 20 grams per 100 grams of water, some of the mixtures will partition into two or more phases while others will not. Then a separate sulfonate-cosurfactant-brine system is made up corresponding to one of those which partitions and the system is injected into the reservoir where on contact with the oil it forms a multiphase bank.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.