Petroleum production in oil bearing formations

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM A WELL BORE PENETRATING A POROUS SUBSURFACE PETROLEUM-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH FORMATION IMMEDIATELY OVERLIES A WATER TABLE, THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION BEING OCCUPIED BY A NON-WETTING LIQUID OIL PHASE AND A LIQUID PHASE OF CONNATE CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER DERIVED BY CAPILLARY ATTRACTION FROM SAID WATER TABLE, WHICH FORMATION WATER WETS THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION, WHICH COMPRISES INJECTING FROM SAID WELL BORE INTO THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION A FLUENT AQUEOUS LIQUID CAPABLE OF SETTING UP, PER SE, TO SOLID, SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID WETTING THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION AND BEING MISCIBLE WITH SAID CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER AND IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID OIL PHASE CONTAINED IN THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION, WHEREBY SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID DISPLACES SAID CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER FROM THE CAPILLARIES FOR A SUBSTANTIAL REGION SOME OF THE LIQUID OIL PHASE FROM THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES FOR A SUBSTANTIAL REGION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE, THEREAFTER DISPLACING SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID OUT OF THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN SAID REGION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE BY INJECTING INTO SAID FORMATION FROM SAID WELL BORE A SECOND LIQUID WHICH IS NONWETTING WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT AT LEAST TO SATURATE THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN SAID UNDERGOING TREATMENT, SAID SECOND LIQUID BEING IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID AND MISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID OIL PHASE CONTAINED IN SAID CAPILLARIES, DISCONTINUING THE INJECTION OF SAID SECOND LIQUID AND PERMITTING SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID TO SET UP TO A SOLID WITHIN SAID CAPILLARIES AND THEREAFTER PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM SAID FORMATION VIA SAID WELL BORE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM A WELL BORE PENETRATING A POROUS SUBSURFACE PETROLEUM-PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH FORMATION IMMEDIATELY OVERLIES A WATER TABLE, THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION BEING OCCUPIED BY A NON-WETTING LIQUID OIL PHASE AND A LIQUID PHASE OF CONNATE CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER DERIVED BY CAPILLARY ATTRACTION FROM SAID WATER TABLE, WHICH FORMATION WATER WETS THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION, WHICH COMPRISES INJECTING FROM SAID WELL BORE INTO THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION A FLUENT AQUEOUS LIQUID CAPABLE OF SETTING UP, PER SE, TO SOLID, SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID WETTING THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION AND BEING MISCIBLE WITH SAID CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER AND IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID OIL PHASE CONTAINED IN THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION, WHEREBY SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID DISPLACES SAID CAPILLARY FORMATION WATER FROM THE CAPILLARIES FOR A SUBSTANTIAL REGION SOME OF THE LIQUID OIL PHASE FROM THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES FOR A SUBSTANTIAL REGION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE, THEREAFTER DISPLACING SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID OUT OF THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN SAID REGION SURROUNDING SAID WELL BORE BY INJECTING INTO SAID FORMATION FROM SAID WELL BORE A SECOND LIQUID WHICH IS NONWETTING WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACES OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT AT LEAST TO SATURATE THE NORMALLY OIL-OCCUPIED PORTION OF THE CAPILLARIES OF SAID FORMATION IN SAID UNDERGOING TREATMENT, SAID SECOND LIQUID BEING IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID AQUEOUS LIQUID AND MISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID OIL PHASE CONTAINED IN SAID CAPILLARIES, DISCONTINUING THE INJECTION OF SAID SECOND LIQUID AND PERMITTING SAID INJECTED AQUEOUS LIQUID TO SET UP TO A SOLID WITHIN SAID CAPILLARIES AND THEREAFTER PRODUCING PETROLEUM FROM SAID FORMATION VIA SAID WELL BORE.