High conformance enhanced oil recovery process

Patent · Tue Jul 17 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5723695

Varnon, J E; Schievelbein, V H; Kudchadker, M V; Whittington, L E

The conformance of a water flood oil recovery process, including surfactant or other chemicalized water flood process, in a formation containing at least two of varying permeability, the permeability of one zone being at least 50 percent greater than the permeability of the other zone, is improved by flooding until the higher permeability zone has been depleted, after which a fluid is injected into the high permeability zone, said fluid having relatively low viscosity at the time of injection and containing surface active agents which promote the formation of a coarse emulsion in the flow channels of the formation which reduces the permeability of the high permeability zone. Since the viscosity of the fluid injected into the previously water flooded, high permeability zone is no greater than water, it is injected easily into the zone and moves through substantially the same flow channels as water would move in the formation. After the permeability of the first zone has been reduced substantially, water flooding may then be accomplished in the second zone which was originally not invaded by the injected fluid since its permeability was substantially less than the permeability of the first zone. The surface active agent is tailored to exhibit optimum emulsion formation properties with the particular aqueous fluid present in the flow channels of the formation to be treated. The optimum emulsifying surfactant comprises a mixture of an alkylpolyalkoxyalkylene sulfonate or an alkylarylpolyalkoxylalkylene sulfonate and an organic sulfonate such as petroleum sulfonate. 18 claims.

• Assignee: Texaco, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4161218
• OSTI ID: 5723695
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM SULFONATES
SULFONATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
SURFACTANTS
VISCOSITY
WATER
WATERFLOODING
WELLS