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

Stimulating low pressure natural gas producing wells

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5988636
In general, high water saturations around a well bore can be caused by natural ingress of free water saturation from the producing formation or induced by water from drilling fluids, etc., or from casing leaks or various other causes, the result being to increase the saturation of water in the producing formation and thus reduce the relative permeability to the flow of hydrocarbon. Water blockage in subterranean formations, is effectively removed by injecting into the well bore a sufficient amount of a micellar solution to contact the area of water blockage resulting in solubilizing the water to facilitate the flow of hydrocarbon toward the well bore. Desirably, the micellar dispersion has a mobility about equal to or less than that of the formation fluids within the immediate vicinity of the well bore. That is, the mobility of the micellar dispersion is about equal to or less than that of the mobility of the combination of connate water and hydrocarbon. (19 claims)
Assignee:
Marathon Oil Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 3554288
OSTI ID:
5988636
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English