Well treatment to remove a water block

Claim 1

A METHOD OF DISPELLING A WATER BLOCK FROM A ZONE SURROUNDING A WELL BORE PENETRATING A PETROLEUM PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING VIA SAIDD WELL BORE INTO THE ZONE CONTAINING SAID WATER BLOCK A LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION IN AN AMOUNT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE VOLUME OF SAID FORMATION OCCUPIED BY SAID WATER BLOCK, SAID LIQUID DISTILLATE FRACTION HAVING A VISCOSITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF WATER UNDER THE FORMATION CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN SAID ZONE OF INJECTION, THEREAFTER INTRODUCING VIA SAID WELL BORE INTO THE ZONE OF INJECTION OF SAID LIQUID DISTILLATE FRACTION A GASEOUS MEDIUM TO DISTRIBUTE THE PREVIOUSLY INJECTED LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION WITHIN SAID FORMATION AND TO DISPEL SAID WATER BLOCK OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ZONE INTO THE FORMATION, THE VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM THUS-INTRODUCED BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE ZONE OF SAID FORMATION OCCUPIED BY SAID WATER BLOCK, SAID VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM BEING MEASURE UNDER THE FORMATION CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCING INTO THE THUS-TREATED ZONE VIA SAID WELL BORE ADDITIONAL SAID LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION CONTAINING A SURFACTANT MATERIAL WHICH REDUCES THE SURFACE TENSION OF WATER AND WHICH REDUCES THE INTERFACIAL TENSION BETWEEN WATER AND OIL OR OTHER HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ZONE OF THE FORMATION UNDERGOING TREATMENT, THE VOLUME OF SAID ADDITIONAL LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION BEING THE RANGE 1/20-1/2 THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION FIRST INTRODUCED INTO THE ZONE OF SAID FORMATION CONTAINING SAID WATER BLOCK, AND THEREAFTER INJECTING ADDITIONAL GASEOUS MEDIUM INTO THE THUS-TREATED ZONE VIA SAID WELL BORE SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY DISPEL SAID WATER BLOCK FROM SAID ZONE OUTWARDLY INTO SAID FORMATION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF DISPELLING A WATER BLOCK FROM A ZONE SURROUNDING A WELL BORE PENETRATING A PETROLEUM PRODUCING FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING VIA SAIDD WELL BORE INTO THE ZONE CONTAINING SAID WATER BLOCK A LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION IN AN AMOUNT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE VOLUME OF SAID FORMATION OCCUPIED BY SAID WATER BLOCK, SAID LIQUID DISTILLATE FRACTION HAVING A VISCOSITY SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF WATER UNDER THE FORMATION CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN SAID ZONE OF INJECTION, THEREAFTER INTRODUCING VIA SAID WELL BORE INTO THE ZONE OF INJECTION OF SAID LIQUID DISTILLATE FRACTION A GASEOUS MEDIUM TO DISTRIBUTE THE PREVIOUSLY INJECTED LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION WITHIN SAID FORMATION AND TO DISPEL SAID WATER BLOCK OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ZONE INTO THE FORMATION, THE VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM THUS-INTRODUCED BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE ZONE OF SAID FORMATION OCCUPIED BY SAID WATER BLOCK, SAID VOLUME OF GASEOUS MEDIUM BEING MEASURE UNDER THE FORMATION CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCING INTO THE THUS-TREATED ZONE VIA SAID WELL BORE ADDITIONAL SAID LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION CONTAINING A SURFACTANT MATERIAL WHICH REDUCES THE SURFACE TENSION OF WATER AND WHICH REDUCES THE INTERFACIAL TENSION BETWEEN WATER AND OIL OR OTHER HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ZONE OF THE FORMATION UNDERGOING TREATMENT, THE VOLUME OF SAID ADDITIONAL LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION BEING THE RANGE 1/20-1/2 THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID PETROLEUM DISTILLATE FRACTION FIRST INTRODUCED INTO THE ZONE OF SAID FORMATION CONTAINING SAID WATER BLOCK, AND THEREAFTER INJECTING ADDITIONAL GASEOUS MEDIUM INTO THE THUS-TREATED ZONE VIA SAID WELL BORE SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY DISPEL SAID WATER BLOCK FROM SAID ZONE OUTWARDLY INTO SAID FORMATION.