Miscible flooding process using improved soluble oil compositions

Patent · Tue Mar 17 04:00:00 EST 1970

OSTI ID:7215943

Holm, L W

Soluble oil surfactant slugs were designed for enhanced oil recovery. The slugs contained Petronate CR (mixed alkyl aryl petroleum monosulfonates), Illinois crude oil, water (less than 5,000 ppM TDS), and isopropyl alcohol or butyl Cellosolve (2-butoxyethanol). The Cellosolve causes the surface active component of the soluble oil to be more effective and improves the stability of the resulting soluble oil (microemulsion). Nevada 130 sand packs were saturated with water, then saturated with Illinois crude oil (gravity of 39/sup 0/ API). An anhydrous soluble oil slug, containing isopropyl alcohol and driven by an aqueous polymer flood (Pusher 500), recovered 91.8 percent of the original oil in place. In a series of tests for tertiary oil recovery, the sand packs were waterflooded before treatment with a microemulsion slug, followed by a polymer flood (Pusher 500) and an aqueous brine drive. The maximum recovery of 83.8 percent residual oil was obtained with a microemulsion slug containing butyl Cellosolve.

• Assignee: Union Oil Co. of California
• Patent Number(s): US 3500918
• OSTI ID: 7215943
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALCOHOLS
BUTANOLS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MICROEMULSIONS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM SULFONATES
SAND
SULFONATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
SURFACTANTS
WELLS