Hydrocarbon recovery comprising injecting a slug comprising oil soluble alkoxylated surfactants from lignin

Patent · Tue Jul 27 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6324224

Naae, D G; DaGue, M G; Dunn, N G

A method is described of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well a surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of oil soluble surfactants produced from lignin, said oil soluble surfactants produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into relatively low molecular weight lignin phenols by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen, said reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200 C and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reaction mixture, alkoxylating the lignin phenols by reacting the lignin phenols with an a-olefin epoxide having about 6 to about 20 carbon atoms at about 100 to about 200 C for about 1 to about 3 hours in an organic solvent, and changing the alkoxylated lignin phenols into oil soluble lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of sulfonation, sulfation, and alkoxysulfation; injecting into the formation through the injection well a drive fluid to push the surfactant slug towards a production well; and recovering hydrocarbons at the production well.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc., White Plains, NY (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5230814
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-464480
• OSTI ID: 6324224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKENES
AROMATICS
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EPOXIDES
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INJECTION WELLS
LIGNIN
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
OIL WELLS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHENOLS
POLYSACCHARIDES
REDUCTION
SACCHARIDES
SULFATION
SULFONATION
SURFACTANTS
SYNTHESIS
WELLS