# US 5,346,008 A · Polymer enhanced foam for treating gas override or gas channeling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,346,008 A - Document ID: US5346008A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/022,703 - Filed: 1993-03-01 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1993-01-07 - Assignees: Marathon Oil Company - Inventors: Robert D. Sydansk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346008A ## CPC - C09K 8/94: Foams - B09C 1/00: Reclamation of contaminated soil - C09K 17/18: Prepolymers; Macromolecular compounds - C09K 17/40: containing mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds - E21B 43/32: Preventing gas- or water-coning phenomena, i.e. the formation of a conical column of gas or water around wells - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A process is provided for promoting oil production from a producing interval of a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation by reducing undesirable gas production therefrom due to gas override or gas channeling in the upper portion of the interval. A polymer enhanced foam containing a polymer, an aqueous solvent, a surfactant, and a gas is placed in the upper portion of the producing interval, thereby substantially inhibiting or blocking the flow of gas therethrough to an oil production wellbore in fluid communication with the producing interval and enabling oil to more readily enter the wellbore for production to the surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: injecting foam components into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore, said foam components comprising a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant, an aqueous solvent, and a foaming gas, thereby placing a polymer enhanced foam in a gas flowpath in said hydrocarbon producing interval, wherein said foam comprises said substantially uncrosslinked polymer, said surfactant, said aqueous solvent, and said foaming gas, and wherein said foam substantially reduces the flow of a flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said foam has a critical pressure gradient for foam flow greater than a gas flow pressure gradient exhibited by said flowing gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said flowpath is in an upper portion of said hydrocarbon producing interval. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 3 wherein said flowpath comprises substantially homogeneous formation matrix. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 3 wherein said upper portion of said hydrocarbon producing interval comprises a region of relatively lower permeability and a region of relatively higher permeability and said flowpath is said region of relatively higher permeability. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 5 wherein said flowpath is an anomaly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 5 wherein said region of relatively higher permeability comprises formation matrix. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said flowing gas is an oil recovery gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said flowing gas is a pressure maintenance gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 further comprising injecting said flowing gas into said hydrocarbon producing interval via an injection wellbore in fluid communication with said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore after placement of said foam in said gas flowpath. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said foaming gas is said flowing gas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore of claim 1 wherein said foam is placed in said flowpath by injection of said polymer, surfactant, and solvent into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 13 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: premixing a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant and an aqueous solvent to form a liquid phase and combining said liquid phase with a foaming gas at the surface to formulate a polymer enhanced foam; injecting said foam into said formation via said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore; and placing said foam in a gas flowpath in said hydrocarbon producing interval, wherein said foam comprises said polymer, surfactant, solvent, and foaming gas, and wherein said foam substantially reduces the flow of a flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 14 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: premixing a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant and an aqueous solvent to form a liquid phase; coinjecting said liquid phase and a foaming gas into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore; and placing a polymer enhanced foam in a gas flowpath in said hydrocarbon producing interval, wherein said foam comprises said liquid phase and said foaming gas, and wherein said foam substantially reduces the flow of a flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 15 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: premixing a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant and an aqueous solvent to form a liquid phase and combining said liquid phase with a foaming gas at the surface to formulate a polymer enhanced foam; injecting said foam into said formation via an injection wellbore in fluid communication with said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore; and placing said foam in a gas flowpath in said hydrocarbon producing interval, wherein said foam comprises said polymer, surfactant, solvent, and foaming gas, and wherein said foam substantially reduces the flow of a flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 16 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: premixing a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant and an aqueous solvent to form a liquid phase; coinjecting said liquid phase and a foaming gas into an injection wellbore in fluid communication with said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore; and placing a polymer enhanced foam in a gas flowpath in said hydrocarbon producing interval, wherein said foam comprises said liquid phase and said foaming gas, and wherein said foam substantially reduces the flow of a flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore. ### Claim 17 A process for reducing gas production into a liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon producing interval of a subterranean formation, the process comprising: placing a polymer enhanced foam in a gas flowpath in an upper portion of said hydrocarbon producing interval via said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore, wherein said foam comprises a substantially uncrosslinked polymer, a surfactant, an aqueous solvent, and a foaming gas, and further wherein said foam has a critical pressure gradient for foam flow greater than a gas flow pressure gradient exhibited by an injected flowing gas to substantially reduce the flow of said flowing gas through said flowpath into said liquid hydrocarbon production wellbore.