Enhanced oil recovery using oil soluble sulfonates from lignin and benzyl alcohol

Patent · Tue Mar 17 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5251240

Naae, D G; Davis, C A

This patent describes a method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well. It comprises injecting into an underground formation through an injection well about 0.1 to about 0.6 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of an oil soluble lignin surfactant, the oil soluble lignin surfactant produced by reacting benzyl alcohol at elevated temperature with a lignin phenol in the presence of a non-nucleophilic basic catalyst to produce a lignin phenol reaction product; sulfonating the lignin phenol reaction product to produce an oil soluble lignin surfactant, the lignin phenol produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen which creates a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenol, the reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200{degrees} C and a pressure greater than about 100 psig, and recovering the oil soluble lignin phenol from the reduction mixture; injecting into the formation through the injection well a drive fluid to push the surfactant slug towards the production well; and recovering hydrocarbons at the production well.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc., White Plains, NY (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5095986
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-632836
• OSTI ID: 5251240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
ALCOHOLS
AROMATICS
BENZYL ALCOHOL
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DRILLING FLUIDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION PROCESSES
FLUIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INJECTION WELLS
LIGNIN
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
STIMULATION
SULFONATES
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS