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US 4,730,673 AGranted
Heated brine secondary recovery process
OwnerBryant W. Bradleyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high salt content oil field brine is treated for use in downhole secondary recovery of hydrocarbons by placing a scale inhibitor in the brine, then heating the brine by contact with a heat exchange medium having a temperature not exceeding 400.degree. F. The amount of scale inhibitor used is the minimum amount effective to reduce the total amount of scale formation during heating by at least 90% as compared to the amount of scale formed under identical heating conditions and when no inhibitor is added to the brine.
Claims16
A method of recovering residual hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising:
- extending an injection well and a producing well into the formation at horizontally spaced locations;
- treating water containing in excess of 1,000 ppm total dissolved solids, and significant quantities of scale-forming ions, with a water soluble scale inhibitor compound in the minimum amount of such inhibitor required to maintain at least 90% of the scale forming ions in solution during subsequent heating of the water to a temperature not exceeding 400.degree. F.;
- heating the water by contact with a heat exchange medium having a temperature not exceeding 400.degree. F.;
- then
- pumping the heated water containing the inhibitor down the injection well and into the formation under a pressure adequate to displace hydrocarbons toward the production well.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.