Method of separating oil from geological formations
US6951248B2 · kind B2 · utility
11Cited by
7References
6Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 12, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 12, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC09K8/58
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method for separating oil from geological formations by application of an aqueous oxidant. The oxidant breaks the interfacial attraction between the oil phase and the geological formation and also produces ketone moieties which assist in separating the oil phase from the mineral phase and also dissolve into the oil phase, thereby decreasing the viscosity. The method is especially useful in recovering heavy oil from geological formations wherein oil has been previously extracted to exhaustion by prior art methods.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.