Single well surfactant test to evaluate surfactant floods using multi tracer method

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:863426

Sheely, Clyde Q ^[1]

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1. Ponca City, OK

Data useful for evaluating the effectiveness of or designing an enhanced recovery process said process involving mobilizing and moving hydrocarbons through a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation from an injection well to a production well by injecting a mobilizing fluid into the injection well, comprising (a) determining hydrocarbon saturation in a volume in the formation near a well bore penetrating formation, (b) injecting sufficient mobilizing fluid to mobilize and move hydrocarbons from a volume in the formation near the well bore, and (c) determining the hydrocarbon saturation in a volume including at least a part of the volume of (b) by an improved single well surfactant method comprising injecting 2 or more slugs of water containing the primary tracer separated by water slugs containing no primary tracer. Alternatively, the plurality of ester tracers can be injected in a single slug said tracers penetrating varying distances into the formation wherein the esters have different partition coefficients and essentially equal reaction times. The single well tracer method employed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,842. This method designated the single well surfactant test (SWST) is useful for evaluating the effect of surfactant floods, polymer floods, carbon dioxide floods, micellar floods, caustic floods and the like in subterranean formations in much less time and at much reduced cost compared to conventional multiwell pilot tests.

• Research Organization: CONOCO INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-78SF01424
• Assignee: Continental Oil Company (Ponca City, OK)
• Patent Number(s): US 4168746
• OSTI ID: 863426
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

single
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multi
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designing
enhanced
recovery
process
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mobilizing
moving
hydrocarbons
hydrocarbon
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injection
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injecting
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essentially
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disclosed
623
842
designated
swst
effect
polymer
carbon
dioxide
micellar
caustic
formations
time
reduced
cost
compared
conventional
multiwell
pilot
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tracer method
essentially equal
subterranean formation
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carbon dioxide
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process involving
surfactant floods
method employed
reaction time
enhanced recovery
subterranean formations
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evaluate surfactant
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data useful
/166/73/436/