Patent · US Expired

Conformance improvement in a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation using a polymer gel

US4683949A · kind A · utility

116Cited by
23References
62Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 27, 1986
Grant dateAug 4, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 27, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC09K8/512
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Conformance improvement is achieved in a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation using a gel comprised of a high molecular weight water-soluble acrylamide polymer, a chromium III/carboxylate complex capable of crosslinking the polymer and an aqueous solvent. The gel components are combined at the surface and injected into the desired treatment zone via a wellbore to form a continuous single-phase gel. The gel is tailored to a specific subterranean application by first determining the treatment demands of the desired subterranean zone, then predetermining the gelation rate and resultant gel strength and stability which are required of a gel to meet the demands, and finally producing the gel having the required predetermined properties under controlled surface conditions by utilizing observed correlations between specific controllable gelation parameters and resultant gel properties.

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