US3848673A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recovery of hydrocarbons
Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
•
Filing: 1973-02-26
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Granted: 1974-11-19
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Expires: 1993-02-26
Abstract
Abstract Improvements in recovery operations for the recovery of hydrocarbons from subterranean formations are accomplished through the use of aqueous mediums comprising aqueous gels prepared in situ from water and cellulose ethers.
Inventors
- 👤 R Clampitt
- 👤 J Hessert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:24
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/588; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
METHOD OF TREATING A SUBSTERRANEAN FORMATION, PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE BOREHOLE, WITH A FLUID MEDIUM COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS GEL, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: ADDING TO WATER CONTAINING A WATER-THICKENING AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE CELLULOSE ETHER, AN AMOUNT OF A WATERSOLUBLE COMPOUND OF A POLYVALENT METAL WHEREIN THE METAL PRESENT IS CAPABLE OF BEING REDUCED TO A LOWER POLYVALENT STATE, SAID AMOUNT OF METAL COMPOUND BEING SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE GELATION OF SAID WATER WHEN THE VALENCE OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID METAL THEREN IS REDUCED TO SAID LOWER VALENCE STATE; INJECTING SAID WATER CONTAINING SAID CELLULOSE ETHER AND SAID METAL-CONTAINING COMPOUND INTO SAID BOREHOLE AND INTO SAID FORMATION; AND CONTACTING SAID WATER IN SAID FORMATION WITH AN AMOUNT OF A REDUCING GAS WHICH IS EFFECTIVE TO REDUCE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID METAL TO SAID LOWER VALENCE STATE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
METHOD OF TREATING A SUBSTERRANEAN FORMATION, PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE BOREHOLE, WITH A FLUID MEDIUM COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS GEL, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: ADDING TO WATER CONTAINING A WATER-THICKENING AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE CELLULOSE ETHER, AN AMOUNT OF A WATERSOLUBLE COMPOUND OF A POLYVALENT METAL WHEREIN THE METAL PRESENT IS CAPABLE OF BEING REDUCED TO A LOWER POLYVALENT STATE, SAID AMOUNT OF METAL COMPOUND BEING SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE GELATION OF SAID WATER WHEN THE VALENCE OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID METAL THEREN IS REDUCED TO SAID LOWER VALENCE STATE; INJECTING SAID WATER CONTAINING SAID CELLULOSE ETHER AND SAID METAL-CONTAINING COMPOUND INTO SAID BOREHOLE AND INTO SAID FORMATION; AND CONTACTING SAID WATER IN SAID FORMATION WITH AN AMOUNT OF A REDUCING GAS WHICH IS EFFECTIVE TO REDUCE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID METAL TO SAID LOWER VALENCE STATE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of said water-soluble polyvalent metal compound is an amount sufficient to supply at least 3 X 10 6 gram atoms of said metal capable of being reduced to said lower polyvalent valence state per gram of said cellulose ether.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.0025 to 20 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.1 to at least about 150 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower polyvalent valence state.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said cellulose ether is a carboxymethyl cellulose ether.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said compound of a polyvalent metal is a compound of chromium wherein the valence of the chromium is +6 and the valence of at least a portion of said chromium is reduced to +3.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein said chromium compound is selected from the group consisting of ammonium chromate, ammonium dichromate, the alkali metal chromates and dichromates, chromium trioxide, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein said reducing gas is hydrogen sulfide or a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein: said cellulose ether is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; said polyvalent metal compound is sodium dichromate; and said reducing gas is hydrogen sulfide or a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.01 to 5 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.1 to at least about 150 weight percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower polyvalent valence state.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 9 wherein: said compound of a polyvalent metal is a compound of chromium wherein the valence of the chromium is +6 and the valence of at least a portion of said chromium is reduced to +3.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein: said cellulose ether is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; said polyvalent Metal compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium dichromate, potassium dichromate, and mixtures thereof; and said reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen sulfide-containing gases.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
99 words
A method according to claim 9 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.025 to 1 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.5 to 30 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.5 to at least about 150 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of said water.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 12 wherein: said cellulose ether is a carboxymethyl cellulose ether; said polyvalent metal compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium dichromate, potassium dichromate, and mixtures thereof; and said reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen sulfide-containing gases.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein: said borehole comprises an injection well; said formation comprises an oil-bearing formation and is also penetrated by a production well; said method is a fluid drive process carried out for the recovery of oil from said formation by injecting a drive fluid into said formation via said injection well and driving oil to said production well; and said drive fluid comprises said aqueous gel and is introduced into said injection well and into the pores of said formation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein: said formation is of nonuniform permeability and comprises at least one zone of relatively high permeability and at least one zone of relatively low permeability; and said drive fluid is injected into said formation prior to having injected another drive fluid into said formation via said injection well in said fluid drive process for driving said oil to said production well.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
99 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.025 to 1 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.5 to 30 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.5 to at least about 150 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of said water.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein: said cellulose ether is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; said polyvalent metal compound is sodium dichromate; and said reducing gas is hydrogen sulfide or a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein: said formation is of nonuniform permeability and comprises at least one zone of relatively high permeability and at least one zone of relatively low permeability; and said drive fluid is injected into said formation subsequent to having injected another drive fluid into said formation via said injection well in said fluid drive process for driving said oil to said production well.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
99 words
A method according to claim 18 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.025 to 1 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.5 to 30 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.5 to at least about 150 percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent Metal to said lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of said water.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 19 wherein: said cellulose ether is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; said polyvalent metal compound is sodium dichromate; and said reducing gas is hydrogen sulfide or a hydrogen sulfide-containing gas.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein: said borehole comprises a producing well; said formation comprises a hydrogen-bearing formation; and said method comprises a method for recovering desired fluid hydrocarbons from said formation, and for reducing the concomitant production of undesired fluids with said desired hydrocarbons.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method according to claim 21 wherein: said amount of said cellulose ether is within the range of from 0.01 to 5 weight percent, based upon the weight of said water; said amount of said polyvalent metal compound is within the range of from 0.05 to 60 weight percent, based upon the weight of said cellulose ether; and said amount of said reducing gas is within the range of from 0.1 to at least about 150 weight percent of the stoichiometric amount required to reduce said polyvalent metal to said lower polyvalent valence state.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein: said formation contains a zone of desired hydrocarbons and a zone of undesired fluid in contact with said hydrocarbon zone, and on continued production said undesired fluid encroaches on said hydrocarbon zone and reduces flow of hydrocarbons therefrom to said borehole; and said reducing gas comprises naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide associated with said undesired fluid or said petroleum deposit.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method according to claim 23 wherein: said undesired fluid comprises a zone of natural gas overlying a petroleum deposit; and said natural gas encroaches on said petroleum deposit by at least one of (a) creating a generally downwardly extending cone around said borehole, or (b) via a fracture or other fissure extending between said gas zone and said deposit.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 23 wherein said naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide is supplemented by hydrogen sulfide injected into at least one of said hydrocarbon zone and said zone of undesired fluid.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method according to claim 23 wherein: said undesired fluid comprises a zone of water lying below a petroleum deposit; and said water encroaches on said petroleum deposit by at least one of (a) creating a generally upwardly extending zone around said borehole, or (b) via a fracture or other fissure extending between said water zone and said deposit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
64 words
A method according to claim 23 wherein: said undesired fluid comprises a zone of water lying below a zone of desired natural gas; and said water encroaches on said natural gas zone by at least one of (a) creating a generally upwardly extending cone around said borehole, or (b) via a fracture or other fissure extending between said water zone and said gas zone.
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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) | 1977-11-18 | 1978-05-20 | 1978-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-18 | 1982-05-20 | 1982-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-18 | 1986-05-20 | 1986-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |