Secondary recovery of hydrocarbons with sulfur trioxide

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING LIQUID OR LIQUEFIABLE HYDROCARBONS FROM A HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING SUBSURFACE FORMATION, SAID FORMATION BEING PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE WELL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: INTRODUCING INTO A WELL A QUANTITY OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO REACT WITH A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBON OF SAID FORMATION, CONTACTING AND REACTING SAID HYDROCARBON WITH A PORTION OF SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE TO FORM PETROLEUM SULFONATES IN SAID FORMATION, MAINTAINING SAID PETROLEUM SULFONATES IN CONTACT WITH SAID PETROLEUM OF SAID FORMATION FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE PETROLEUM AND HEAT THE FORMATION, HEATING IN SITU HYDROCARBON OF SAID FORMATION FURTHER BY CONTACTING AND REACTING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE WITH FORMATION WATER WHEREBY THE HEAT OF REACTION RAISES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ADJACENT FORMATION TO REDUCE THE VISCOSITY OF THE HYDROCARBON, DISPLACING THE PREVIOUSLY FORMED PETROLEUM SULFONATES, THE HYDROCARBON OF REDUCED VISCOSITY AND ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE INTO THE HYDROCARBONBEARING FORMATION, SAID PETROLEUM SULFONATES AND SAID HYDROCARBON BEING FORCED TOWARD A SECOND WELL IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FORMATION AND THE SURFACE, SAID HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION INCLUDING CARBONATE MATERIAL WHICH NEUTRALIZES SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE WHICH IS CONVERTED TO SULFURIC ACID BY FORMATION WATERS, SAID ACID BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZED BY SAID CARBONATE MATERIAL AS THE ACID IS DISPLACED FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND WELL, AND PRODUCING HYDROCARBON OF REDUCED VISCOSITY TO THE SURFACE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING LIQUID OR LIQUEFIABLE HYDROCARBONS FROM A HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING SUBSURFACE FORMATION, SAID FORMATION BEING PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE WELL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: INTRODUCING INTO A WELL A QUANTITY OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO REACT WITH A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBON OF SAID FORMATION, CONTACTING AND REACTING SAID HYDROCARBON WITH A PORTION OF SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE TO FORM PETROLEUM SULFONATES IN SAID FORMATION, MAINTAINING SAID PETROLEUM SULFONATES IN CONTACT WITH SAID PETROLEUM OF SAID FORMATION FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE PETROLEUM AND HEAT THE FORMATION, HEATING IN SITU HYDROCARBON OF SAID FORMATION FURTHER BY CONTACTING AND REACTING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE WITH FORMATION WATER WHEREBY THE HEAT OF REACTION RAISES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ADJACENT FORMATION TO REDUCE THE VISCOSITY OF THE HYDROCARBON, DISPLACING THE PREVIOUSLY FORMED PETROLEUM SULFONATES, THE HYDROCARBON OF REDUCED VISCOSITY AND ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE INTO THE HYDROCARBONBEARING FORMATION, SAID PETROLEUM SULFONATES AND SAID HYDROCARBON BEING FORCED TOWARD A SECOND WELL IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FORMATION AND THE SURFACE, SAID HYDROCARBON-PRODUCING FORMATION INCLUDING CARBONATE MATERIAL WHICH NEUTRALIZES SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE WHICH IS CONVERTED TO SULFURIC ACID BY FORMATION WATERS, SAID ACID BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZED BY SAID CARBONATE MATERIAL AS THE ACID IS DISPLACED FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND WELL, AND PRODUCING HYDROCARBON OF REDUCED VISCOSITY TO THE SURFACE.