Process of flooding oil-bearing formations using aldehydes as oxygen scavengers in polymer solutions

Patent · Tue Apr 02 04:00:00 EDT 1974

OSTI ID:6750680

Knight, B L

A process is described of improving the mobility control of flooding an oil-bearing subterranean formation wherein an aqueous solution comprised of polymer(s) selected from the group consisting of partially hydrolyzed, high molecular weight polyacrylamides, copolymer of acrylamide and acrylic acid or alkali metal salts thereof, and partially hydrolyzed polymers of the copolymers is injected into the formation to improve the mobility control thereof and wherein the water contains at least about 0.1 ppm (based on the water) of dissolved oxygen which adversely affects the mobility control through degradation of the polymer, the improvement comprising incorporating into the aqueous solution sufficient amounts of aldehyde to complex with the oxygen and thus inhibit the adverse effect the oxygen has upon degrading the aqueous polymer solution. (18 claims)

• Assignee: Marathon Oil Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 3800877
• OSTI ID: 6750680
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALDEHYDES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MIXTURES
MOBILITY
NONMETALS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PETROLEUM
POLYMERS
RECOVERY
SOLUTIONS
STIMULATION
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS