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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Process utilizing the combination of miscible and thickened floods in petroleum recovery

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6446482
In a recovery process an emulsion is injected into the formation, followed by a thickened flood material, and both are driven through the formation with water or other drive material. The slug of thickened flood material differs from the emulsion in character. At least a portion of the material is incrementally diminished in viscosity from about that of the emulsion at the leading edge of the material to about that of a drive material at the interface between the thickened flood material and the drive fluid. The drive fluid is injected into the formation to displace hydrocarbons toward the production well from which the oil is recovered. The total volume of the emulsion slug and the thickened flood material injected consists of about 1-20% of the pore volume of the formation with the emulsion accounting for from 5-50% of the total emulsion and thickened drive material volume. (5 claims)
Assignee:
Marathon Oil Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 3261399
OSTI ID:
6446482
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English