Recovering hydrocarbons with surfactants from lignin
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorsDouglas G. Naae, Lawrence E. Whittington, Will A. Ledoux, Francis E. Debons
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Abstract
A method of producing surfactants from lignin is disclosed by reducing lignin in the presence of a carbon monoxide or hydrogen reducing agent at high temperature and pressure to produce low molecular weight lignin phenols and subjecting the lignin phenols to one or a combination of several reactions such as alkoxylation, alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkoxysulfation, and sulfomethylation. The lignin surfactants so produced can be employed in a surfactant system to recover oil from underground formations.
Claims4
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises:
- injecting into the formation through an injection well a surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of surfactants produced from lignin,
- said surfactants produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenols by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen creating a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenols, said reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200.degree. C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reduction mixture, and converting the lignin phenols into lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of alkoxylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkylation, sulfomethylation, and alkoxysulfation;
- injecting into the formation through the injection well a drive fluid to push the surfactant slug towards a production well;
- and
- recovering hydrocarbons at the production well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.