Secondary recovery by miscible fluid displacement

Patent · Tue Jan 26 04:00:00 EST 1965

OSTI ID:6705156

Habermann, B

This is a method for improving the areal sweep efficiency of a miscible fluid displacement method of secondary recovery. A fluid, miscible with both the crude petroleum and a drive fluid, is injected into the formation and is then forced through the formation by a drive fluid. Miscible fluids are L.P.G., propane, butane, pentane, and petroleum distillates, while the driving fluid can be natural gas, methane, ethane, and mixtures of natural gas and water. A long chain polymer is added to the miscible displacement fluid to obtain favorable mobility ratios between the drive fluid, the displacement fluid, and the reservoir oil, while retaining miscibility of the fluids. The viscosity of the drive fluid is adjusted to provide a low mobility ratio between the drive and the miscible fluids. During displacement, the reservoir is kept under sufficient pressure to keep the miscible fluid in a liquid state (less than 3,000 psi). (5 claims)

• Assignee: TUL; EDB-81-025626
• Patent Number(s): US 3167118
• OSTI ID: 6705156
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALKANES
BUTANE
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ETHANE
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS INJECTION
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASES
LIQUIDS
METHANE
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PENTANE
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
PROPANE
RECOVERY
WELLS