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

Block copolymers useful for enhanced oil recovery processes

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5953689

A method is described for permeability control of a subterranean formation and for enhancing oil recovery from the subterranean formation. The method comprising consists of injecting an aqueous solution comprised of a block copolymer having a segment which entangles in a high brine environment to function as a physical crosslink and a segment which form a continuous non- or low degree crosslinked phase which is brine tolerant. The block copolymer has the structural form of ABA triblock or (AB)/sub n/ multiblock, wherein A is a brine sensitive polymer block capable forming entangled segments, each a polymer block being characterized by a degree of hydrolysis of over 30% and a degree of polymerization of 1,000 to 200,000, each B polymer block is a brine tolerant segment and n is a number of at least 2, each B polymer block having a degree of polymerization of 10,000 to 600,000.

Assignee:
Mobil Oil Corp., New York, NY
Patent Number(s):
US 4809782
OSTI ID:
5953689
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English