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

Microemulsions which compatibly incorporate viscosifiers and their use in enhanced oil recovery

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6049517
To improve the sweep efficiency of a microemulsion flooding process to recover crude oil from a subterranean formation, a mobility control polymer is added to the microemulsion to increase its viscosity. To enable the compatible incorporation of the polymer and surfactant into the microemulsion, while still utilizing an aqueous component having a salinity near that of the formation, a microemulsion oil component is used for which the surfactant's optimal salinity is substantially higher than for reservoir crude oil.
Assignee:
Exxon Production Research Co
Patent Number(s):
US 4271907
OSTI ID:
6049517
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English