Surfactant oil recovery process usable in high temperature formations having high concentrations of polyvalent ions

Patent · Tue Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7225607

Maddox, J Jr; Tate, J F

A three surfactant system usable in high temperature petroleum formations is described which contains water having from about 200 to about 14,000 parts per million polyvalent ions such as calcium and/or magnesium dissolved therein and a pH of from 5 to 9. A method of using the surfactant system for recovering petroleum from high temperature subterranean petroleum-containing formations is outlined. The three component surfactant system comprises (1) water-soluble salt of an alkyl or alkylaryl sulfonate wherein the alkyl chain may have from 5 to 25 carbon atoms, (2) a phosphate ester surfactant with an average molecular weight not to exceed 1000, and (3) a surfactant having a betaine related structure. The surfactant combination is stable up to at least 225/sup 0/F and resistant to bacterial attack and inhibits scale formation. 6 claims.

• Assignee: Texaco Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4008165
• OSTI ID: 7225607
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALKYL RADICALS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IONS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
RADICALS
STABILITY
SURFACTANTS
VALENCE
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS