Steam enhanced oil recovery method using branched alkyl aromatic sulfonates
US5005644A · kind A · utility
14Cited by
16References
34Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 6, 1989 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 6, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S507/936
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method of enhanced oil recovery using foam to improve the effectiveness of steam to mobilize viscous crude, either for steam stimulation in a single well or for steam drive between wells. A new surfactant composition having branched alkyl aromatic sulfonates as the effective agent for the steam foamer is used because of its ability to foam in the presence of substantial pore volumes of residual oil and thereby mobilize significant amounts of producible oil by diverting steam to less-permeable zones.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.