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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Waterflooding employing thickened aqueous liquids

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5751360
A description is given of a waterflood process for the recovery of oil from a subterranean oil reservoir in which at least a portion of the injected water is thickened by the addition of a surface-active amphoteric quaternary ammonium sulfonate and an aliphatic alcohol containing from 5 to 8 carbon atoms. The alcohol is employed in a concentration to provide a ratio of the volume amount of alcohol in the solution to the weight amount of the amphoteric sulfonate within the range of 0.1-0.6 to produce a pronounced thickening effect. The alcohol-amphoteric sulfonate systems are useful viscosifiers in highly saline systems.
Assignee:
Mobil Corp
Patent Number(s):
US 4193452
OSTI ID:
5751360
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English