Profile control in enhanced oil recovery

Patent · Tue Apr 14 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:5053917

Morgenthaler, L N; Korcz, W H; Greak, J L; Erickson, J R

This patent describes a process to reduce permeability in highly permeably strata of a permeably subterranean formation having at least one highly permeably stratum and at least one less permeably stratum. It comprises: injecting a heat medium into the formation thereby increasing the temperature of at least a portion of the highly permeable strata to above a crosslinking temperature and not increasing the temperature of the less permeable strata to above the crosslinking temperature; injecting into the formation a polymer solution comprising a continuous hydrocarbon phase, a block copolymer comprising at least one conjugated diolefin block containing ethylenic unsaturation and at least one vinyl aromatic block and having a glass transition temperature which is greater than the temperature of the less permeable strata and less than the crosslinking temperature, and a free radical crosslinking agent wherein the free radical crosslinking agent is capable of crosslinking the block copolymer at the crosslinking temperature in a quarter of an hour to 72 hours and crosslinks the block copolymer at the temperature of the less permeable strata at a rate of one tenth or less of the rate at crosslinking temperatures; and crosslinking at least a portion of the polymer within the highly permeable strata and thereby reducing the permeability of the highly permeable strata.

• Assignee: Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5103909
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-657031
• OSTI ID: 5053917
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
CROSS-LINKING
DRILLING FLUIDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
INJECTION WELLS
KINETICS
OIL WELLS
PERMEABILITY
PHASE STUDIES
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
PROCESS CONTROL
REACTION KINETICS
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS