Viscosity enhancement system
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorPaul R. Stapp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel viscosity enhancing agent consisting essentially of urea and the sodium salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, and also, a viscosity enhanced fluid consisting essentially of salt water and the viscosity enhancing agent. In addition, a process for the enhanced recovery of oil employing the viscosity enhanced fluid as a mobility buffer.
Claims16
A viscosity enhancing agent consisting essentially of:
- (a) from about 10-90 weight percent urea;
- and
- (b) from about 90-10 weight percent of the sodium salt of a C.sub.12 to C.sub.24 unsaturated carboxylic acid.
A viscosity enhanced fluid consisting essentially of:
- (a) 100 parts by weight water;
- (b) 0.5-10 parts by weight of a sodium salt of a C.sub.12 to C.sub.24 unsaturated carboxylic acid;
- (c) 0.5-10 parts by weight of urea;
- and
- (d) 0.1-15 parts by weight of NaCl.
In a process for the recovery of oil from a subterranean reservoir comprising injecting a surfactant slug into said reservoir via one or more injection wells followed by the injection of a mobility buffer, the improvement which comprises utilizing as said mobility buffer a viscosity enhanced fluid consisting essentially of:
- (a) 100 parts by weight water;
- (b) 0.5-10 parts by weight of a sodium salt of a C.sub.12 to C.sub.24 unsaturated carboxylic acid;
- (c) 0.5-10 parts by weight of urea;
- and
- (d) 0.1-15 parts by weight of NaCl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.