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Title: Steam enhanced oil recovery method using dialkyl aromatic sulfonates

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5648457

This patent describes a method of enhanced recovery of oil from a petroleum reservoir during steam injection into the reservoir. It comprises: periodically injecting steam and an anionic surfactant into the reservoir from a known depth interval in a well to form a foam in the presence of residual oil in high stem permeable channels of the formation, the anionic surfactant including an effective amount of an alkyl aromatic sulfonate component having average molecular weight of from about 400 to about 600 and comprising at least 2 alkyl groups wherein one alkyl group is linear comprising from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms and one alkyl group is branched comprising from 5 to about 25 carbon atoms; contacting the reservoir fluids in the formation with the resulting foam and the stem away from the injection interval to assist movement of the reservoir fluids toward a producing interval in the reservoir; and recovering oil from the producing interval.

Assignee:
Chevron Research Co., San Francisco, CA (USA)
Patent Number(s):
US 4967837; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-331453
OSTI ID:
5648457
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 31 Mar 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English