Nonionic surfactants for enhanced crude oil recovery
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsAaron W. Sanders, Sayeed Abbas, Shawn Maynard, Matthew Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods of using a nonionic surfactant for enhanced oil recovery, where the nonionic surfactant is prepared with a double metal cyanide catalyst. The present disclosure also provides for an emulsion that includes carbon dioxide, a diluent and the nonionic surfactant.
Claims14
-15. (canceled)
A method for recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation that is penetrated by at least one injection well and one production well, comprising:
- injecting a nonionic surfactant in carbon dioxide into the subterranean formation, where the nonionic surfactant has a polydispersity of 1.01 to 1.10 and is prepared by an alkoxylation reaction with a double metal cyanide catalyst where in a first stage of the alkoxylation reaction a first epoxide selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof reacts with a branched aliphatic alcohol having up to 9 carbon atoms to form an intermediate compound that reacts in a second stage of the alkoxylation reaction with a second epoxide different than the first epoxide, the second epoxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof;
- creating a foam with the nonionic surfactant in carbon dioxide and a diluent;
- and
- recovering crude oil from the subterranean formation from a production well.
A method for recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation, comprising:
- injecting a nonionic surfactant in carbon dioxide into a subterranean formation, where the nonionic surfactant is prepared by an alkoxylation reaction with a double metal cyanide catalyst where in a first stage of the alkoxylation reaction a first epoxide selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof reacts with a branched aliphatic alcohol having up to 9 carbon atoms to form an intermediate compound that reacts in a second stage of the alkoxylation reaction with a second epoxide different than the first epoxide, the second epoxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof;
- and
- recovering crude oil from the subterranean formation.
A method for recovering crude oil from a subterranean formation, comprising:
- injecting a nonionic surfactant in a noncondensable gas into a subterranean formation, where the nonionic surfactant is prepared by an alkoxylation reaction with a double metal cyanide catalyst where in a first stage of the alkoxylation reaction a first epoxide selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof reacts with a branched aliphatic alcohol having up to 9 carbon atoms to form an intermediate compound that reacts in a second stage of the alkoxylation reaction with a second epoxide different than the first epoxide, the second epoxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, hexane oxide, octene oxide and combinations thereof;
- and
- recovering crude oil from the subterranean formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.