Prepartially crosslinked gel for retarding fluid flow

Patent · Tue May 19 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6437883

Sandiford, B B; Chiou, C S

This patent describes a subterranean formation having channels which have a high permeability to the flow of fluids. A process for retarding fluid flow in the channels comprises: providing a gel-forming composition which when substantially completely gelled in the high permeability channels is operable for retarding fluid flow therein. The gel-forming composition comprises: an aqueous solution comprising a first substance selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer, and mixtures thereof, and an effective amount of a second substance selected from the group consisting of aldehydes, aldehyde generating substances, acetals, acetal generating substances, and mixtures thereof capable of crosslinking with the first substance through the formation of acetal crosslinkages. The second substance is operable for forming a gel with the aqueous solution when the gel-forming composition is acidic.

• Assignee: Cities Service Oil and Gas Corp., Tulsa, OK
• Patent Number(s): US 4665987
• OSTI ID: 6437883
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
CONTROL
COPOLYMERS
CROSS-LINKING
DISPERSIONS
FLUID FLOW
GELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERMEABILITY
PLUGGING
PLUGGING AGENTS
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PVA
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
SOLUTIONS
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
WELL TEMPERATURE
WELLS