Emulsion oil recovery process usable in high temperature, high salinity formations

Patent · Tue May 26 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6149779

Maddox, J J; Shupe, R D

Many petroleum formations contain water having high salinity and/or high concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium or magnesium dissolved therein, and are additionally at temperatures from about 70/sup 0/F. to about 300/sup 0/F. Most surfactants suitable for use in oil recovery operations are either ineffective in high salinity or high hardness waters, or cannot tolerate the higher temperatures encountered in many such formations. A waterexternal phase emulsion, microemulsion or micellar dispersion containing a water soluble alkylpolyalkoxyalkylene sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkylene sulfonate and a water-insoluble polyethoxylated aliphatic alcohol (Including alkanols) or polyethoxylated alkylphenol nonionic surfactant is an effective fluid for flooding in formations containing water whose salinity is from 70,000 to 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids and also having temperatures as high as 300/sup 0/F. The fluid is phase stable over a wide range of formation temperatures and water salinities and hardness values.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc
• Patent Number(s): US 4269271
• OSTI ID: 6149779
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CALCIUM IONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INJECTION WELLS
INTERSTITIAL WATER
IONS
MAGNESIUM IONS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
SALINITY
STIMULATION
SULFONATES
SURFACTANTS
WATER
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS