Oil recovery process using a polymer gel

Patent · Tue Oct 22 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5755777

Norton, C J; Falk, D O; Hill, A D

A reducing agent is added to an aqueous medium containing a mixture of undried partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and an oxidizing agent. The reducing agent and oxidizing agent act as a redox catalyst system to cross link the polymer and form a polymer gel. Gelation time is controlled by maintaining the components of the gel-forming mixture at predetermined concentrations, reaction ratios and pH. The gel-forming mixture is applied to a porous matrix such as a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation where the mixture gels in situ at a controlled rate to reduce the permeability of the porous matrix.

• Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
• Patent Number(s): US 4548272
• OSTI ID: 5755777
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
CROSS-LINKING
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
GELATION
GELS
HYDROLYSIS
LYSIS
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDIZERS
PERMEABILITY
PLUGGING
POLYACRYLATES
POLYAMIDES
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
RECOVERY
REDOX POTENTIAL
REDUCING AGENTS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SOLUTIONS
SOLVOLYSIS
WATERFLOODING
WELLS