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US3946812A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Use of materials as waterflood additives

Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
•
Filing: 1975-03-12
•
Granted: 1976-03-30
•
Expires: 1995-03-12
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Abstract

Abstract One embodiment includes an oil recovery process, more particularly a secondary or tertiary type crude oil recovery process utilizing a drive fluid to move a displacing fluid through a subterranean formation wherein the displacing fluid displaces crude oil therefrom and is driven through the formation by means of the drive fluid. The crude oil recovery process is improved by utilizing as the drive fluid a thickened, transparent, aqueous solution of a water-soluble sulfated, polyethoxylated C 10 -C 18 primary alcohol or alkylated phenol. The displacing fluid is generally an aqueous surfactant solution, a miscible displacing medium or most preferably a microemulsion. In a further embodiment, the water-soluble, polyethoxylated C 10 -C 18 primary alcohol or alkylated phenol is employed as a mobility control agent in a waterflood thereby increasing the sweep efficiency thereof.

Inventors

  • 👤 Walter W. Gale
  • 👤 Thomas L. Ashcraft, Jr.
  • 👤 Rhoderick K. Saunders

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 23:20
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/584; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/16; E21B43/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 58 words
In a method of recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation by a waterflooding process, the improvement wherein the waterflood is preceded by injection into said formation of a slug of a transparent, aqueous solution of a water-soluble, sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol, said aqueous solution being substantially free of any other thickening agent and any other surface active agent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 58 words
In a method of recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation by a waterflooding process, the improvement wherein the waterflood is preceded by injection into said formation of a slug of a transparent, aqueous solution of a water-soluble, sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol, said aqueous solution being substantially free of any other thickening agent and any other surface active agent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol is a sulfated, polyethoxylated C 10-18 primary alcohol or alkylphenol.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol is a sulfated, polyethoxylated C 12-15 primary alcohol.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 84 words
A method of recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation having at least one injection means in fluid communication with at least one production means which comprises: injecting into said formation through said injection means a slug of a transparent, aqueous solution of a water-soluble, sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol, said aqueous solution being substantially free of any other thickening agent and any other surface active agent; subsequently injecting into said formation through said injection means a waterflood; and recovering crude oil through said production means.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 84 words
A method of recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation having at least one injection means in fluid communication with at least one production means which comprises: injecting into said formation through said injection means a slug of a transparent, aqueous solution of a water-soluble, sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol, said aqueous solution being substantially free of any other thickening agent and any other surface active agent; subsequently injecting into said formation through said injection means a waterflood; and recovering crude oil through said production means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol is a sulfated, polyethoxylated C 10-18 primary alcohol or alkylphenol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said sulfated, polyethoxylated alcohol is a sulfated, polyethoxylated C 12-15 primary alcohol.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3500923A Cited
US3638728A Cited
US3712377A Cited
US3768560A Cited
US3827497A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-03-30 1979-09-29 1980-03-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-03-30 1983-09-29 1984-03-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-03-30 1987-09-29 1988-03-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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