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

Method of determining fluid saturations in reservoirs

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6242597
A method is described for determining the relative amounts of fluid phases in a subterranean oil-bearing formation in which one of the phases is mobile and the other is essentially immobile. A carrier fluid-reactant solution is injected into the formation by means of a well. The carrier fluid is substantially insoluble in the immobile fluid and miscible with the mobile fluid. The reactant forms at least 2 tracers within the formation, one of which may be unconsumed reactant. The tracers have different partition coefficients between the carrier fluid and immobile phase. After measurable quantities of the 2 tracers are produced by the reactant, the carrier fluid-tracer solution is displaced through the formation to a point of detection which preferably is the injection well. By applying the principles of chromatography to measured chromatographic properties of the process, the fluid saturations of the formation can be determined. (10 claims)
Assignee:
Esso Research Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 3623842
OSTI ID:
6242597
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English