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Recovering hydrocarbons with surfactants from lignin

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6436848
; ; ;
This patent describes a method 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 surfactants produced from lignin, the surfactants produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenols by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen creating a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenols, the reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200/sup 0/C and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reduction mixture, and converting the lignin phenols into lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of alkoxylation, sulfonation, sulfation, aklylation, sulfomethylation, 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
Patent Number(s):
US 4787454
OSTI ID:
6436848
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
AROMATICS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIGNIN
NONMETALS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHENOLS
POLYSACCHARIDES
RECOVERY
REDUCING AGENTS
SACCHARIDES
STIMULATION
SURFACTANTS
SYNTHESIS
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS