Increasing the flow of fluids through a permeable formation

Claim 1

A method for treating a fines-containing earthen formation, including both surface and subsurface strata, comprising: (a) injecting into the formation an organosilicon compound selected from the group consisting of organosilane halides, organosilane hydrides, organosilane alkoxides, and organosilane amines, in which an organosilane halide, hydride, or amine has the formula: ##STR11## wherein R is a halogen, hydrogen, or an amine radical which can be substituted with hydrogen, organic radicals, or silyl groups, R 1 is hydrogen, an amine, or an organic radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, and R 2 and R 3 are hydrogen or the same or different halogens, amines, or organic radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, and in which an organosilane alkoxide has the formula: ##STR12## wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from hydrogen, amine, halogen, alkoxide, and organic radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms and R 7 is an organic radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam containing a compound which contains ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium salts of inorganic acids, ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, quaternary ammonium halides, amine or substituted amine hydrochlorides, derivatives of ammonium cyanate, and water-soluble ammonia or ammonium ion precursors selected from the group consisting of amides of carbamic acid and thiocarbamic acid, derivatives of such amides, tertiary carboxylic acid amides and their substituted and alkylated derivatives characterized by the formula: ##STR13## wherein (1) R 8 is hydrogen or an organic radical, (2) R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from hydrogen and organic radicals, and (3) Y is oxygen or sulfur.

Claim 2

A method for treating a fines-containing earthen formation, including both surface and subsurface strata, comprising: (a) injecting into the formation an organosilicon compound selected from the group consisting of organosilane halides, organosilane hydrides, organosilane alkoxides, and organosilane amines, in which an organosilane halide, hydride, or amine has the formula: ##STR11## wherein R is a halogen, hydrogen, or an amine radical which can be substituted with hydrogen, organic radicals, or silyl groups, R 1 is hydrogen, an amine, or an organic radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, and R 2 and R 3 are hydrogen or the same or different halogens, amines, or organic radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, and in which an organosilane alkoxide has the formula: ##STR12## wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from hydrogen, amine, halogen, alkoxide, and organic radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms and R 7 is an organic radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam containing a compound which contains ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium salts of inorganic acids, ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, quaternary ammonium halides, amine or substituted amine hydrochlorides, derivatives of ammonium cyanate, and water-soluble ammonia or ammonium ion precursors selected from the group consisting of amides of carbamic acid and thiocarbamic acid, derivatives of such amides, tertiary carboxylic acid amides and their substituted and alkylated derivatives characterized by the formula: ##STR13## wherein (1) R 8 is hydrogen or an organic radical, (2) R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from hydrogen and organic radicals, and (3) Y is oxygen or sulfur.

Claim 39

A method for treating subterranean formations which contain formation fines to minimize impairment of formation permeability due to the presence of the formation fines comprising: (a) injecting into the formation about 0.5 to 100 gallons per vertical foot of formation to be treated of: (i) an organosilane halide having the formula: ##STR15## wherein R is a halogen, R 1 is an alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and R 2 and R 3 are the same or different halogens, or alkyl, alkenyl or aryl groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; or (ii) an organosilane alkoxide having the formula: R1 ? ##STR16## wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from hydrogen, amine, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl and carbohydroxyl groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and R 7 is selected from an amine, alkyl, alkenyl and aryl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam generated from about 250 to 3,000 barrels of feedwater per vertical foot of formation to be treated, said steam containing about 0.1 to 25 percent by weight, based on the weight of boiler feedwater used to generate the steam, of a compound containing ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium salts of inorganic acids, ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, quaternary ammonium halides, amine or substituted fine hydrochlorides, derivatives of ammonium cyanate, and water-soluble ammonia or ammonium ion precursors selected from the group consisting of amides of carbamic acid and thiocarbamic acid, derivatives of such amides, tertiary carboxylic acid amides and their substituted and alkylated derivatives characterized by the formula: ##STR17## wherein (1) R 8 is hydrogen, an alkyl group containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, or an X-hydroxy substituted alkyl group containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, (2) R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from hydrogen and alkyl groups containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and (3) Y is oxygen or sulfur.

Claim 40

A method for treating subterranean formations which contain formation fines to minimize impairment of formation permeability due to the presence of the formation fines comprising: (a) injecting into the formation about 0.5 to 100 gallons per vertical foot of formation to be treated of: (i) an organosilane halide having the formula: ##STR15## wherein R is a halogen, R 1 is an alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and R 2 and R 3 are the same or different halogens, or alkyl, alkenyl or aryl groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; or (ii) an organosilane alkoxide having the formula: R1 ? ##STR16## wherein R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from hydrogen, amine, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl and carbohydroxyl groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and R 7 is selected from an amine, alkyl, alkenyl and aryl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam generated from about 250 to 3,000 barrels of feedwater per vertical foot of formation to be treated, said steam containing about 0.1 to 25 percent by weight, based on the weight of boiler feedwater used to generate the steam, of a compound containing ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium salts of inorganic acids, ammonium salts of carboxylic acids, quaternary ammonium halides, amine or substituted fine hydrochlorides, derivatives of ammonium cyanate, and water-soluble ammonia or ammonium ion precursors selected from the group consisting of amides of carbamic acid and thiocarbamic acid, derivatives of such amides, tertiary carboxylic acid amides and their substituted and alkylated derivatives characterized by the formula: ##STR17## wherein (1) R 8 is hydrogen, an alkyl group containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, or an X-hydroxy substituted alkyl group containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, (2) R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from hydrogen and alkyl groups containing 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and (3) Y is oxygen or sulfur.

Claim 49

A method for treating an earthen formation including both surface and subsurface strata to stimulate the flow of fluids through the formation comprising: (a) injecting into the formation 0.5 to 100 gallons per vertical foot of formation to be treated of an alkylated amine substituted organosilane alkoxide, as a solution, up to about 50 percent by volume, in a hydrocarbon carrier liquid selected from the group consisting of crude oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum distillation products, which solution further contains a polymerization catalyst; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam generated from about 250 to 3,000 barrels of feedwater per vertical foot of formation to be treated, said steam containing about 0.1 to 25 percent by weight, based on the weight of boiler feedwater used to generate the steam, of a compound which contains ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium salts of inorganic acids and amides of carbamic acid.

Claim 50

A method for treating an earthen formation including both surface and subsurface strata to stimulate the flow of fluids through the formation comprising: (a) injecting into the formation 0.5 to 100 gallons per vertical foot of formation to be treated of an alkylated amine substituted organosilane alkoxide, as a solution, up to about 50 percent by volume, in a hydrocarbon carrier liquid selected from the group consisting of crude oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum distillation products, which solution further contains a polymerization catalyst; and (b) subsequently, injecting steam generated from about 250 to 3,000 barrels of feedwater per vertical foot of formation to be treated, said steam containing about 0.1 to 25 percent by weight, based on the weight of boiler feedwater used to generate the steam, of a compound which contains ammoniacal nitrogen, selected from the group consisting of ammonium salts of inorganic acids and amides of carbamic acid.