Secondary recovery process

Patent · Tue Aug 05 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6289358

Hunter, W D

A process is described for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation penetrated by an injection well and a production well which consists of 1) the injecting into the formation via an injection well a drive fluid comprising water having dissolved in it a small amount of a polymer comprising repeating units of vinyl sulfonic acid alkoxylated with ethylene oxide, or a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide wherein the weight percent of ethylene oxide in the mixture is from 60 to 95; 2) forcing the fluid through the formation; and 3) recovering hydrocarbons through the production well. An additional method relates to the drive fluid compositions utilized in step 1) which may be saturated with carbon dioxide and/or natural gas. 10 claims.

• Assignee: Texaco Development Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4216098
• OSTI ID: 6289358
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALKENES
CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION
CHALCOGENIDES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ETHYLENE
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
INJECTION WELLS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NATURAL GAS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PROPYLENE
RECOVERY
SULFONIC ACIDS
WATERFLOODING
WELLS