Fatty acid salts as steam foaming agents
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorWilliam T. Osterloh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steam foam method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation, which comprises injecting steam through an injection well into the formation, injecting an aqueous solution having a salinity greater than about 1% by weight and a pH of about 8 to about 12, comprising about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a fatty acid salt having about 10 to about 24 carbon atoms, and injecting steam into the formation to sweep hydrocarbons towards the production well for recovery.
Claims25
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 steam through an injection well into the formation;
- injecting through the injection well into the formation an aqueous solution having a salinity greater than about 1% and a pH of about 8 to about 12 comprising about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a fatty acid salt having about 10 to about 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- injecting steam through the injection well into the formation to sweep hydrocarbons towards a production well for recovery.
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 steam through an injection well into the formation;
- injecting an aqueous solution having a pH of about 8 to about 12 through the injection well into the formation, said aqueous solution comprising about 0.3% to about 1% by weight of a tall oil acid salt, sodium sesquicarbonate as a basic buffer to maintain the pH between about 8 to about 12, and about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight of inorganic salt;
- and
- injecting steam through the injection well into the formation to sweep hydrocarbons towards a production well for recovery.
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one well which comprises:
- injecting steam through an injection/production well into the formation:
- injecting through the injection/production well into the formation an aqueous solution having a salinity greater than about 1% and a pH of about 8 to about 12 comprising about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a fatty acid salt having about 10 to about 24 carbon atoms;
- injecting steam through the injection/production well into the formation;
- producing hydrocarbons and other fluids through the injection/production well.
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one well, which comprises:
- injecting steam through an injection/production well into the formation;
- injecting an aqueous solution having a pH of about 8 to about 12 through the injection/production well into the formation, said aqueous solution comprising about 0.3% to about 1% by weight of a tall oil acid salt, sodium sesquicarbonate as a basic buffer to maintain the pH between about 8 and about 12, and about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight of inorganic salt;
- injecting steam through the injection/production well into the formation;
- allowing the injected steam to soak in the formation for about one to about fourteen days;
- and
- producing hydrocarbons and other fluids through the injection/production well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.