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Oil recovery by surfactant waterflooding

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6248268
A surfactant waterflooding process is described employing an anionic surfactant for use in oil reservoirs in which the connate waters exhibit high salinities and/or divalent metal ion concentrations or in situations in which the available injection waters exhibit high salinities and/or divalent metal ion concentrations. The anionic surfactant comprises a hydrocarbyl amino ether-linked alkane sulfonate in which the hydrocarbyl group provides a lipophilic base and in which the ether linkage is provided by an alkoxy linkage having a ratio of carbon atoms to oxygen atoms within the range of 2 to 3. The surfactant may be a monosulfonate or disulfonate and may be employed alone or in conjunction with other additives. Thus, it may be employed as a cosurfactant in combination with other anionic or nonionic surfactants or in combination with alcohols which function as surfactant cosolvents. 8 claims.
Assignee:
Mobil Oil Corp.
Patent Number(s):
US 4138345
OSTI ID:
6248268
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English