US3637017A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Surfactant flooding process
Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
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Filing: 1970-06-01
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Granted: 1972-01-25
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Expires: 1990-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A method of recovering oil from a subterranean oil-bearing formation in which an aqueous surfactant solution is injected into the formation and displaced by a dilute solution of alcohol in water. In another embodiment, the alcohol and surfactant are contained in the same solution and this solution is displaced through the formation to recover oil.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter W Gale
- 👤 Euell R Rorie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:51
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/584; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for recovering oil from a subterranean oil-bearing formation which comprises injecting into the formation a petroleum sulfonate surfactant in an aqueous solution and in an amount effective to reduce the interfacial tension between the formation oil and water, subsequently, injecting into the formation a substantially oil-free solution containing a predominant portion of water as a solvent and between 0.05 and 10 percent by volume of alcohol having no more than eight carbon atoms as a solute, displacing the surfactant solution and the alcohol solution through the formation with a third aqueous solution and recovering oil from the formation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
An improved process for waterflooding an oil-bearing subterranean formation where a surfactant solution is injected into the formation and displaced through the formation to recover oil wherein the improvement comprises displacing the surfactant solution with a solution containing at least 90 volume percent water and at least 0.05 percent by volume of alcohol having from one to eight carbon atoms, said alcohol-water solution being substantially insoluble in said oil.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for recovering oil from a subterranean oil-bearing formation which comprises injecting into the formation an aqueous solution of an anionic surfactant, then, injecting into the formation a second solution containing from 0.05 to 10 volume percent aliphatic organic compound having at least one hydroxyl substituent and having from one to eight carbon atoms, at least 90 volume percent water and substantially free of surfactant, subsequently, injecting a third aqueous solution into the formation to displace the surfactant solution and the aliphatic organic compound solution, and recovering oil from the formation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the anionic surfactant is a petroleum sulfonate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as defined by claim 5 wherein the petroleum sulfonate is a sodium petroleum sulfonate obtained by the sulfonation of the sulfonatable constituents occurring in a 700*-1,100* F. boiling range fraction of a petroleum crude.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the aliphatic organic compound is an industrial grade alcohol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the aliphatic organic compound is saturated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the aliphatic organic compound is unsaturated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the aliphatic organic compound has at least two hydroxyl substituents.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the second aqueous solution contains less than 5,000 parts per million total dissolved solids.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the volume of the surfactant solution injected into the formation is within the range of 0.1 to 1.0 of the pore volume of the reservoir to be flooded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the volume of the second aqueous solution lies within the range of 0.1 to 1.0 of the pore volume of the reservoir to be flooded.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the surfactant solution further includes minor amounts of an aliphatic organic compound having at least one hydroxyl substituent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the surfactant solution contains a viscosity-increasing agent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as defined by claim 4 wherein the second aqueous solution contains a viscosity-increasing agent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
89 words
An improved surfactant waterflooding process for recovering oil from a subterranean formation by injecting an aqueous solution containing a surfactant into the formation, displacing the surfactant solution through he formation, and recovering oil in which the improvement comprises displacing the surfactant solution with a solution being substantially free of hydrocarbon oil and containing at least 90 volume percent water and an amount of aliphatic organic compound having one to eight carbon atoms and having at least one hydroxyl substituent sufficient to increase the recovery of surfactant from the formation.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of recovering oil from a subterranean formation which comprises injecting into the formation an aqueous solution comprising water and between 0.5 to 10 weight percent of a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, the volume of surfactant solution being equal to from 0.1 to 1.0 of the pore volume of the portion of the formation being flooded, then, injecting into the formation an aqueous alcohol solution being substantially free of hydrocarbon oil and containing at least 90 volume percent water and an amount of aliphatic organic compound having no more than eight carbon atoms and one hydroxyl substituent sufficient to increase the recovery of surfactant from the formation, the volume of the alcohol solution being equal to from 0.1 to 1.0 of the pore volume of the formation being flooded, subsequently, injecting into the formation a third aqueous solution to displace the surfactant solution and the alcohol solution through the formation, and recovering oil from the formation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-24 | 1975-07-26 | 1976-01-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-24 | 1979-07-26 | 1980-01-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-24 | 1983-07-26 | 1984-01-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |