Surfactant oil recovery systems and recovery of oil therewith
US4561501A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1983 |
| Grant date | Dec 31, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S507/936
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, oil is recovered from a subsurface earth formation by injecting into the subsurface formation an aqueous surfactant system containing a polyvalent metal carboxylate, as a surfactant, a cosurfactant and an electrolyte in concentrations and proportions to form multiphase system with the reservoir oil, thereafter, injecting into the earth formation a drive fluid to drive the multiphase system through the reservoir and displace a significant amount of the reservoir oil and withdrawing the thus displaced oil from the subsurface earth formation. A novel aqueous surfactant system, adapted to thus recover oil from a subsurface formation, comprises a polyvalent metal carboxylate, such as calcium isosteareate, as a surfactant, and an alcohol having at least five carbon atoms, as a cosurfactant, and an electrolyte, such as sodium chloride, in proportions which form a multiphase system with the reservoir oil.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.