US4077471A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Surfactant oil recovery process usable in high temperature, high salinity formations
Assignee: Texaco Inc
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Filing: 1976-12-01
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Granted: 1978-03-07
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Expires: 1996-12-01
Abstract
Abstract Many petroleum formations contain water having high salinity and/or high concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium or magnesium dissolved therein, and are additionally at temperature from about 70° F. to about 300° F. Most surfactants suitable for use in oil recovery operations are either ineffective in high salinity or high hardness waters, or cannot tolerate the higher temperatures encountered in many such formations. An aqueous fluid containing a water soluble alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate and a water-insoluble polyethoxylated aliphatic alcohol or polyethoxylated alkylphenol nonionic surfactant is effective in formations containing water whose salinity is from 70,000 to 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids and also having temperatures as high as 300° F. The fluid is phase stable over a wide range of formation temperatures and water salinities and hardness values.
Inventors
- 👤 Russell D. Shupe
- 👤 Jim Maddox, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:51
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/58; C09K8/584; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S507/00; Y10S507/935; Y10S507/936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for recovering petroleum from a subterranean, permeable, petroleum-containing formation penetrated by at least one injection well and by at least one spaced apart production well, both wells being in fluid communication with the formation, the temperature of the formation being from about 70° F to about 300° F., said formation containing water having a salinity from 70,000 to 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids, comprising: (1) injecting into the formation via the injection well an aqueous, saline, phase-stable surfactantcontaining fluid comprising: (a) a water soluble alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and from 1 to 20 alkoxy groups; (b) a water insoluble nonionic surfactant comprising an ethoxylated alkyaryl or an ethoxylated aliphatic compound having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl or aliphatic chain and containing from 1 to 20 ethoxy groups; (c) said surfactant fluid having a salinity from about 70,000 to about 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids, said surfactant fluid displacing oil toward the production well; and (2) recovering petroleum displaced by the surfactant fluid from the formation via the production well.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for recovering petroleum from a subterranean, permeable, petroleum-containing formation penetrated by at least one injection well and by at least one spaced apart production well, both wells being in fluid communication with the formation, the temperature of the formation being from about 70° F to about 300° F., said formation containing water having a salinity from 70,000 to 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids, comprising: (1) injecting into the formation via the injection well an aqueous, saline, phase-stable surfactantcontaining fluid comprising: (a) a water soluble alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and from 1 to 20 alkoxy groups; (b) a water insoluble nonionic surfactant comprising an ethoxylated alkyaryl or an ethoxylated aliphatic compound having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl or aliphatic chain and containing from 1 to 20 ethoxy groups; (c) said surfactant fluid having a salinity from about 70,000 to about 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids, said surfactant fluid displacing oil toward the production well; and (2) recovering petroleum displaced by the surfactant fluid from the formation via the production well.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate surfactant has the following formula: RO(R'O).sub.x R"SO.sub.3.sup.- M.sup.+ wherein R is an alkyl or alkylaryl group, linear or branched having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, R' is ethyl or a mixture of ethyl and propyl having relatively more ethyl than propyl, x is a number from 1 to 20, R" is ethyl, propyl, hydroxypropyl or butyl, and M.sup.+ is a monovalent cation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein R" is ethyl.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein R" is propyl.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein R" is hydroxypropyl.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein R" is butyl.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein M + is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium or ammonium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the value of x is from 2 to 8.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein R is an alkyl or alkylaryl group having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the water insoluble nonionic surfactant has the following formula: R'"O(CH 2 CH 2 O) y H wherein R'" has the same meaning as R and y is a number from 1 to 10.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein y is from (x-3) to (x+3).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein y is from (x-2) to x.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the concentration of the alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate is from about 0.05 to about 10 percent by weight.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the concentration of the nonionic surfactant is from about 0.05 to about 10 percent by weight.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the concentration of the alkylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkyl sulfonate in from about 0.1 to about 5.0 percent by weight.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the concentration of nonionic surfactant is from about 0.10 to about 5.0 percent by weight.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the salinity of the surfactant solution is about equal to the salinity of the formation water.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the surfactant fluid also contains from 0.1 to 10% by weight of an organic sulfonate anionic surfactant.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 18 wherein the organic sulfonate is petroleum sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkylaryl sulfonate, or a mixture thereof.
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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) | 1981-03-06 | 1981-09-05 | 1982-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-03-06 | 1985-09-05 | 1986-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-03-06 | 1989-09-05 | 1990-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |