Oil recovery by waterflooding employing succinimido aryl sulfonate surfactants

Patent · Tue Nov 07 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6956282

Heiba, E A.I.; Stournas, S

A method is described for the recovery of oil from an oil-containing subterranean formation by waterflooding employing as an injection medium an aqueous solution of an anionic surfactant consisting of a hydrocarbyl substituted succinimido aryl sulfonate and/or its succinamic acid derivative. Such surfactants retain their detergency and do not precipitate in aqueous systems containing high concentrations of brine, e.g., over 20,000 ppm Ca++, over 10,000 pm Mg++, and over 50,000 ppm Na+. These surfactants are effective in mobilizing tertiary oil under highly saline environments and demonstrate low adsorptive losses. When used as cosurfactants, these materials significantly improve the brine tolerance of more sensitive surfactants, such as petroleum sulfonates. (Continuation-in-part U.S. Appl. 488,885, F. 7/15/74). 17 claims.

• Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4124512
• OSTI ID: 6956282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BRINES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
SOLUTIONS
STIMULATION
SURFACTANTS
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
WORKING FLUIDS