Aqueous fluid drive system for oil recovery processes

Claim 2

The method of claim 2 wherein said additive comprises from about 11 to 50 percent by weight of said surfactant and from about 50 to 89 percent by weight of said polyethylene oxide.

Claim 3

The method of claim 3 wherein said surfactant comprises a water-soluble liquid, nonionic oxyalkylated adduct of a hydrophobic polyol.

Claim 4

In a waterflood process for recovering residual oil from a subterranean oil bearing formation wherein an aqueous drive system is injected into at least one injection well and residual oil is thereby displaced and recovered at at least one production well, the improvement comprising: a. injecting into said formation an aqueous slug having dissolved therein a polymeric additive comprising a solid, high molecular weight polyethylene oxide dispersed in a nonionic liquid surfactant, b. driving said slug through said formation, thereby displacing said oil ahead of said slug, by injecting into said formation an aqueous driving medium having minor amounts of said additive dissolved therein, and c. recovering said oil at said production well. 6, The method of claim 5 wherein said additive is present in said slug in a concentration ranging from about 1,000 to 5,000 parts by weight per million parts by weight of said slug, and said additive is present in said driving medium in a concentration ranging from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per million parts by weight of said driving medium.

Claim 5

The method of claim 6 wherein said additive comprises from about 11 to 50 percent by weight of said surfactant and from about 50 to 89 percent by weight of said polyethylene oxide.