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U.S. Department of Energy
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Surfactant waterflooding employing amphoteric sulfonium sulfonates

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5998708
A waterflood process is described for the recovery of oil from a subterranean oil reservoir involving injecting into the reservoir an aqueous solution of an amphoteric surfactant having an inner sulfonium group linked to a terminal sulfonate group. The amphoteric sulfonium sulfonate may be employed in relatively low concentrations within the range of 0.001 to 0.1% by weight and injected in an aqueous slug of at least 0.5 pv. The invention may be applied in situations in which the reservoir waters and/or the waters employed in formulating the surfactant solution contain relatively high amounts of divalent metal ions. Specifically disclosed sulfonium sulfonates include dodecylmethylsulfonium propane sulfonate, tetradecylmethylsulfonium propane sulfonate, and hexadecylhydroxyethylsulfonium propane sulfonate. These surfactants are effective in reducing oil-water interfacial tensions in the relatively saline aqueous media described. 24 claims.
Assignee:
Mobil Oil Corp.
Patent Number(s):
US 4166038
OSTI ID:
5998708
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English