Waterflood process employing thickened water
This waterflood process of recovering oil from an oil-containing formation involves the use of a thickened flood water which retains its high viscosity in the presence of a wide range of temperatures and pH values. The flood water is thickened by the addition of poly (glucosylglucan). Bacterial decomposition is prevented by adding a bactericide such as formaldehyde to the flood water. Alkali metal chlorinated phenols may also be employed as suitable bactericides. To maintain the pH of the thickened water in the + 7.0-10.5 range an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkaline complex phosphate such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate, or an alkali metal carbonate, is added. A lowered interfacial tension between the flood water and the in-situ oil is effected by flooding ahead of the flood water a slug of a miscible liquid which contains a surfactant such as petroleum sulfonates or alkylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanols dissolved on it. (15 claims)
- Assignee:
- Mobil Oil Corp.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3372749
- OSTI ID:
- 6285049
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ADDITIVES
ALDEHYDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FORMALDEHYDE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INTERFACES
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM SULFONATES
PH VALUE
PHENOLS
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SODIUM PHOSPHATES
STIMULATION
SULFONATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS