Solvent-waterflood oil recovery process
This is an improved secondary-recovery process by which additional quantities of oil may be recovered by a solvent-waterflood process. A slug of a mixture of a soluble oil and inert, non-aqueous solvent therefore, is injected through an input well into the formation. Floodwater is then injected to drive the mixture toward one or more petroleum-producing wells. The volume of mixture injected will vary between 0.05 and 0.20 reservoir pore volume, but preferably about 0.10 reservoir pore volume. The soluble oil mixture has the ability to spontaneously emulsify with water when admixed therewith. The inert solvent can be a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon fraction, methyl, ethyl, an disopropyl alcohol. The mixture contains one or more soaps or non-soap surface-active materials, a stabilizing material, and a fatty acid, such as oleic acid. (9 claims)
- Assignee:
- Pure Oil Co.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3163214
- OSTI ID:
- 7056549
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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