US3912010A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Overbased branched chain aliphatic sulfonate waterflood
Assignee: ConocoPhillips Co
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Filing: 1974-10-15
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Granted: 1975-10-14
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Expires: 1994-10-15
Abstract
Abstract Overbased branched chain aliphatic sulfonates are prepared by adding an excess of a base component such as an alkali metal hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or an alkali metal carbonate to a sulfonate derived by sulfonating a branched chain alkene such as a propylene tetramer and neutralizing the sulfonic acid thus formed with the base component. The overbased sulfonate is injected into a petroliferous formation to improve a water flood operation. In one embodiment overbasing base component is injected as a slug subsequent to injection of the sulfonate.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles R Clark
- 👤 M Duane Gregory
- 👤 Delmar D Krehbiel
- 👤 Claud D Butler
- 👤 Carl D Kennedy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 03:56
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/584
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A METHOD FOR RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM A PETROLIFEROUS SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES INFECTING INTO THE FORMATION AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN AQUEOUS MIXTURE WHICH COMPRESES ABOUT 0.1 TO 25 WEIGHT PERCENT OF AN OVERBASED SULFONATE DERIVED FROM A NON-LINEAR ALKENE CONTAINING ABOUT SEVEN TO ABOUT 18 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE IN WHICH THE OVERBASED SULFONATE CONTAINS AN EXCESS OF BASE COMPONENT SUCH THAT THE RATIO: "WEIGHT OF EXCESS COMPONENT/WEIGHT OF SULFONATE" IS ABOUT 0.0O TO ABOUT 2.0, AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE FORMATION, HYDROCARBON WHICH HAS BEEN DISPLACED BY THE ANIONIC WATER FLOOD ADDITIVE CONTAINING MIXTURE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
A METHOD FOR RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM A PETROLIFEROUS SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES INFECTING INTO THE FORMATION AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN AQUEOUS MIXTURE WHICH COMPRESES ABOUT 0.1 TO 25 WEIGHT PERCENT OF AN OVERBASED SULFONATE DERIVED FROM A NON-LINEAR ALKENE CONTAINING ABOUT SEVEN TO ABOUT 18 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE IN WHICH THE OVERBASED SULFONATE CONTAINS AN EXCESS OF BASE COMPONENT SUCH THAT THE RATIO: "WEIGHT OF EXCESS COMPONENT/WEIGHT OF SULFONATE" IS ABOUT 0.0O TO ABOUT 2.0, AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE FORMATION, HYDROCARBON WHICH HAS BEEN DISPLACED BY THE ANIONIC WATER FLOOD ADDITIVE CONTAINING MIXTURE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfonate is derived from a non-linear olefin polymer containing about eight to about 14 carbon atoms per molecule; wherein the ratio is about 0.20 to about 1.0; and wherein the base component is an alkali metal hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or an alkali metal carbonate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the base component is NaOH, LiOH, KOH, Na2CO3, K2CO3, or LiCO3.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the aqueous mixture further contains from about 0.5 to 25 weight percent of a water soluble surfactant to solubilize the anionic water flood additive.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 3 which includes the step of injecting into the formation subsequent to the anionic water flood additive an additional amount of about 10 to 1,000 volume percent, based on the amount of the sulfonate containing slug, of additional base component containing aqueous mixture, the aqueous mixture containing about 0.5 to 50 weight percent of the base component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 3 which includes the step of injecting an effective amount of an aqueous brine solution with the anionic water flood additive sufficient to provide a salt level in the aqueous liquid in the formation of about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent salt.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
136 words
The method of claim 1 which includes the steps of forming the anionic water flood additive in situ by the sequential steps of a. injecting into the formation an effective amount of an aqueous solution containing about 0.5 to 25 weight percent of the sulfonate derivative of the non-linear alkene; b. injecting into the formation an effective amount of an aqUeous mixture of a base component selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, or an alkali metal carbonate to produce an overbased mixture from the sulfonate and the base component in situ, the overbased mixture containing an excess of the base constituent above that required to neutralize the sulfonate such that the ratio is about 0.03 to about 2.0; and c. recovering from the formation hydrocarbon displaced by the overbased mixture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the ratio is about 0.20 to about 1.0.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the base component is NaOH, LiOH, KOH, Na2CO3, K2CO3, or Li2CO3.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 9 which includes the step of injecting into the formation subsequent to the anionic water flood additive an additional amount of about 10 to about 1,000 volume percent, based on the total volume of the sulfonate containing slug, of an aqueous mixture of additional base component, the aqueous mixture containing from about .5 to 50 weight percent of the base component.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 9 which includes the step of injecting an effective amount of a brine solution with the anionic water flood additive sufficient to provide a salt level in the resulting aqueous liquid in the formation of about 0.5 to about 10 percent by weight.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the aqueous mixture further contains about 0.5 to about 25 weight percent of a water soluble surfactant sufficient to solubilize the anionic water flood additive.
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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) | 1978-10-13 | 1979-04-14 | 1979-10-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-13 | 1983-04-14 | 1983-10-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-13 | 1987-04-14 | 1987-10-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |