Method of improving conformance in steam floods with carboxylate steam foaming agents

Patent · Mon Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6822496

Hawkins, J T; Schievelbein, V H

A process is described for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting steam into an injection well; injecting into the injection well a mixture of steam, about 0.01 to about 5 thousand standard cubic feet of a non-condensable gas per barrel of steam in the injected mixture and about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of a foaming agent based upon the weight of the steam in the injected mixture, the foaming agent represented by the formula, RO(R'O)/sub n/R''CO/sub 2//sup -/M/sup +/, where R is an alkyl radical, branched or linear, having from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, R' is ethylene, propylene or a mixture of ethylene and propylene, n has an average value of about 3 to about 11, R'' is methylene or ethylene, and M/sup +/ is an alkali metal or ammonium ion; injecting steam into the injection well; and recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from a production well.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc., White Plains, NY
• Patent Number(s): US 4637466
• OSTI ID: 6822496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ADDITIVES
ALKALI METALS
ALKENES
ALKYL RADICALS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ETHYLENE
FLUID INJECTION
FOAMS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
INJECTION WELLS
METALS
METHYLENE RADICALS
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
OIL YIELDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PROPYLENE
QUANTITY RATIO
RADICALS
RECOVERY
STEAM
STEAM INJECTION
STIMULATION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
YIELDS