US3858656A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Oil recovery process usable in formations containing water having high concentrations of polyvalent ions
Assignee: Texaco Inc
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Filing: 1973-12-03
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Granted: 1975-01-07
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Expires: 1993-12-03
Abstract
Abstract A dual surfactant system usable in the presence of from about 200 to about 18,000 parts per million polyvalent ions, such as calcium and/or magnesium, and a method of using said surfactant system for recovering petroleum from subterranean formations, said surfactant system comprising water soluble salts of alkyl or alkylaryl sulfonates wherein the alkyl chain may have from five to 25 carbon atoms, plus sulfated oxyalkylated surfactants containing arylalkyl groups.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenoth H Flournoy
- 👤 Jr Jim Maddox
- 👤 Jack F Tate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 04:03
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/584; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S507/00; Y10S507/935; Y10S507/936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
IN A METHOD FOR RECOVERING PETROLEUM FROM A SUBSTERRANEAN FORMATION PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE INJECTION WELL AND AT LEAST ONE PRODUCTION WELL, SAID FORMATION CONTAINING WATER HAVING POLYVALENT IONS DISSOLVED THEREIN IN A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 200 TO 18,000 PARTS PER MILLION, SAID RECOVERY METHOD BEING OF THE TYPE WHEREIN AS AQUEOUS FLUID IS INJECTED INTO THE FORMATION VIA THE INJECTION WELL, AND OIL DISPLACED BY THE INJECTED FLUID IS RECOVERED FROM THE FORMATION VIA THE PRODUCTION WELL, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES INJECTING INTO THE FORMATION AN AQUEOUS SURFACTANT SOLUTION COMPRISING: A. A SURFACTANT WITH AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED ABOUT 360 SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER SOLUBLE SALTS OF ALKYL SULFONATES HAVING FROM FIVE TO 25 CARBON ATOMS, AND WATER SOLUBLE SALTS OF ALKYLARYL SULFONATES WHEREIN THE ALKYL CHAINES HAVE FROM FIVE TO 25 CARBON ATOMS B. A SULFONATED OXYALKYLATED SURFACTANT CONTAINING ALKYLARYL GROUPS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
151 words
IN A METHOD FOR RECOVERING PETROLEUM FROM A SUBSTERRANEAN FORMATION PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE INJECTION WELL AND AT LEAST ONE PRODUCTION WELL, SAID FORMATION CONTAINING WATER HAVING POLYVALENT IONS DISSOLVED THEREIN IN A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 200 TO 18,000 PARTS PER MILLION, SAID RECOVERY METHOD BEING OF THE TYPE WHEREIN AS AQUEOUS FLUID IS INJECTED INTO THE FORMATION VIA THE INJECTION WELL, AND OIL DISPLACED BY THE INJECTED FLUID IS RECOVERED FROM THE FORMATION VIA THE PRODUCTION WELL, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES INJECTING INTO THE FORMATION AN AQUEOUS SURFACTANT SOLUTION COMPRISING: A. A SURFACTANT WITH AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED ABOUT 360 SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER SOLUBLE SALTS OF ALKYL SULFONATES HAVING FROM FIVE TO 25 CARBON ATOMS, AND WATER SOLUBLE SALTS OF ALKYLARYL SULFONATES WHEREIN THE ALKYL CHAINES HAVE FROM FIVE TO 25 CARBON ATOMS B. A SULFONATED OXYALKYLATED SURFACTANT CONTAINING ALKYLARYL GROUPS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the cation associated with the salts of the sulfonate is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as is claim 2 wherein the cation is ammonium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as in claim 2 wherein the cation is sodium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the cation associated with the sulfated surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and ammonium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein the cation is ammonium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein the cation is sodium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the sulfonated surfactant has the formula (R-X) Y wherein R is an alkyl radical, linear or branched, having from five to 25 carbon atoms, X is an oxygen containing anionic radical, a sulfonate and Y is a monovalent cation such as sodium, potassium or ammonium, or the formula
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as in claim 8 wherein the surfactant mixture comprises a salt of an alkyl substituted benzene sulfonic acid and a sulfated ethylene oxide adduct of nonyl phenol.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein the sulfonate is a salt of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein the sulfonate is a salt of tridecylbenzene sulfonic acid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 8 wherein the sulfonate and the sulfated surfactants are each present in amounts ranging from about 0.2 to 0.5 weight percent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 8 wherein the ratio of sulfonates to sulfates surfactant is from about 8 to 1 or 1 to 8.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution has dissolved therein a hydrophilic polymer in sufficient quantity to increase the viscosity of the aqueous surfactant solution.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution is preceded by sacrificial material to lessen adsoprtion of the surfactants and/or polymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 15 wherein the sacrificial material is an organic or inorganic water soluble salt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution is followed by an aqueous polymer solution of viscosity greater than water.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution is followed by a gas.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 18 wherein the gas is in combination with an aqueous fluid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 19 wherein the gas containing aqueous fluid contains sufficient polymer to increase viscosity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution is preceded by sacrificial material to lessen adsorption of the surfactants.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 21 wherein the sacrificial material is an organic or inorganic water soluble salt.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the aqueous surfactant solution has polyvalent inorganic ions present.
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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) | 1978-01-06 | 1978-07-08 | 1979-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-06 | 1982-07-08 | 1983-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-06 | 1986-07-08 | 1987-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |