Formation permeability maintenance with hydroxy-aluminum solutions

Claim 1

A method of stabilizing the permeability of a formation penetrated by a well comprising injecting down said well and into said formation a solution containing hydroxy-aluminum having the empirical formula Al(OH)nX3 n where n has a value of between 1.5 and 2.7 and X is any anion in the group chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate and acetate.

Claim 2

A method of treating a water-sensitive formation penetrated by a well comprising adding to water a quantity of aluminum salts from the group chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate and acetate in an amount of between 0.01 and 24 pounds of Al per barrel, then adding to said water alkali or alkaline earth base in an amount of between 0.95 and 1.7 pounds of OH for each pound of Al, while vigorously stirring said water to form a hydroxy-aluminum solution, clarifying said solution, injecting said clear solution down said well and into said formation, then injecting fresh water in an amount at least 1 and not more than 4 times as much as the volume of such hydroxy-aluminum solution so injected, shutting said well to permit polymerization of said solution in said formation and reopening said well for operation therein.