Method for identifying the source of an oil

Claim 1

A method for tracing a first oil comprising: (a) incorporating into said first oil a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third; (b) injecting said first oil into a subterranean reservoir; (c) obtaining from said reservoir a second oil suspected to be or to contain a portion of the first; and (d) analyzing the second oil for the presence of the halohydrocarbon or halocarbon component by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.

Claim 2

A method for tracing a first oil comprising: (a) incorporating into said first oil a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third; (b) injecting said first oil into a subterranean reservoir; (c) obtaining from said reservoir a second oil suspected to be or to contain a portion of the first; and (d) analyzing the second oil for the presence of the halohydrocarbon or halocarbon component by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.

Claim 5

A method for determining the amount of leakage of an oil power fluid into reservoir fluids during production of reservoir fluids from a well by a hydraulic actuated downhole production pump assembly having a closed power fluid system comprising: (a) incorporating into the power fluid about 50 to 250 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) utilizing the power fluid to produce via separate conduits a produced fluid and a returned power fluid, (c) analyzing both the produced fluid and the returned power fluid for the concentration of halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector, and (d) calculating the relative amounts of reservoir oil and returned power fluid in the produced oil.

Claim 6

A method for determining the amount of leakage of an oil power fluid into reservoir fluids during production of reservoir fluids from a well by a hydraulic actuated downhole production pump assembly having a closed power fluid system comprising: (a) incorporating into the power fluid about 50 to 250 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) utilizing the power fluid to produce via separate conduits a produced fluid and a returned power fluid, (c) analyzing both the produced fluid and the returned power fluid for the concentration of halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector, and (d) calculating the relative amounts of reservoir oil and returned power fluid in the produced oil.

Claim 9

A method for determining the amount of leakage of an oil power fluid into reservoir fluids during production of reservoir fluids from a well by a hydraulic actuated downhole production pump assembly having a closed power fluid system consisting essentially of: (a) incorporating into the power fluid about 50 to 250 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component consisting essentially of at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) utilizing the power fluid to produce via separate conduits a produced fluid and a returned power fluid, (c) analyzing both the produced fluid and the returned power fluid for the concentration of halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector, and (d) calculating the relative amounts of reservoir oil and returned power fluid in the produced oil.

Claim 10

A method for determining the amount of leakage of an oil power fluid into reservoir fluids during production of reservoir fluids from a well by a hydraulic actuated downhole production pump assembly having a closed power fluid system consisting essentially of: (a) incorporating into the power fluid about 50 to 250 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component consisting essentially of at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) utilizing the power fluid to produce via separate conduits a produced fluid and a returned power fluid, (c) analyzing both the produced fluid and the returned power fluid for the concentration of halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector, and (d) calculating the relative amounts of reservoir oil and returned power fluid in the produced oil.

Claim 13

A method for tracing an oil or oil-containing displacement fluid injected into a subterranean reservoir during an enhanced oil recovery process comprising: (a) incorporating into the oil or oil-containing displacement fluid about 250 to 10,000 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) injecting the tracer material-containing oil or oil-containing displacement fluid into the reservoir through an injection well, (c) producing fluids from the reservoir through a production well, (d) periodically sampling the produced fluids, (e) analyzing the produced fluids for halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.

Claim 14

A method for tracing an oil or oil-containing displacement fluid injected into a subterranean reservoir during an enhanced oil recovery process comprising: (a) incorporating into the oil or oil-containing displacement fluid about 250 to 10,000 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component comprising at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) injecting the tracer material-containing oil or oil-containing displacement fluid into the reservoir through an injection well, (c) producing fluids from the reservoir through a production well, (d) periodically sampling the produced fluids, (e) analyzing the produced fluids for halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.

Claim 17

A method for tracing an oil or oil-containing displacement fluid injected into a subterranean reservoir during an enhanced oil recovery process consisting essentially of: (a) incorporating into the oil or oil-containing displacement fluid about 250 to 10,000 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component consisting essentially of at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) injecting the tracer material-containing oil or oil-containing displacement fluid into the reservoir through an injection well, (c) producing fluids from the reservoir through a production well, (d) periodically sampling the produced fluids, (e) analyzing the produced fluids for halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.

Claim 18

A method for tracing an oil or oil-containing displacement fluid injected into a subterranean reservoir during an enhanced oil recovery process consisting essentially of: (a) incorporating into the oil or oil-containing displacement fluid about 250 to 10,000 weight parts per million of a halogenated hydrocarbon tracer material component consisting essentially of at least one halohydrocarbon or halocarbon containing at least 3 halogen atoms and at least 2 carbon atoms per molecule, and having a halogen/carbon atomic ratio of at least one third, (b) injecting the tracer material-containing oil or oil-containing displacement fluid into the reservoir through an injection well, (c) producing fluids from the reservoir through a production well, (d) periodically sampling the produced fluids, (e) analyzing the produced fluids for halohydrocarbon or halocarbon contained therein by gas chromatography, using a pulsed electron capture detector.