Method for preparation of viscous aqueous liquids for wellbore injection

Patent · Tue Mar 11 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5623560

Abdo, M K

This patent describes a method of preparing a viscous aqueous liquid for introduction into a well penetrating the earth. The method consists of: (a) incorporating a water-dispersible polysaccharide produced by addition of bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas on a carbohydrate into an aqueous liquid having a salinity within the range of 0-0.03 weight percent, (b) incorporating trivalent metal ions selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, and iron ions into the aqueous liquid in a concentration sufficient to effect complexing of the polysaccharide, (c) subsequent to steps (a) and (b), adding an aqueous saline makeup solution to the aqueous liquid containing the polysaccharide and the trivalent metal ions to increase the salinity to a value of at least 0.5 weight percent, and (d) introducing the aqueous liquid into the well. Also described is the production of oil from a subterranean reservoir by the waterflooding technique in which an aqueous liquid comprising a polysaccharide produced by the action of bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas on a carbohydrate is introduced into a well penetrating the earth. The improvement consists of using an aqueous polysaccharide solution made by prehydrating the polysaccharide in fresh water and then mixing this prehydrated solution with hard water, whereby the prehydration step yields a polysaccharide solution in hard water of higher viscosity than by hydrating directly in hard water.

• Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp., New York, NY
• Patent Number(s): US 4574887
• OSTI ID: 5623560
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 19 Sep 1984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
OIL WELLS
WATERFLOODING
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
BACTERIA
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
IRON COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLYSACCHARIDES
SALINITY
VISCOSITY
WELL STIMULATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SACCHARIDES
STIMULATION
SYNTHESIS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production