# US 7,464,760 B2 · Inhibiting reservoir souring using a treated injection water > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,464,760 B2 - Document ID: US7464760B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/377,233 - Filed: 2006-03-15 - Published: 2007-09-20 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2006-03-15 - Assignees: Marathon Oil Company - Inventors: John E. McElhiney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7464760B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/20: Displacing by water - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A process for inhibiting souring in a hydrocarbon reservoir provides a feed water including a plurality of phosphorous constituents and having an elevated phosphorous concentration. At least some of the phosphorous constituents are removed from the feed water to produce a treated injection water, which has a reduced phosphorous concentration less than the elevated phosphorous concentration. The treated injection water is injected into the reservoir via a first well and the hydrocarbon is produced from the reservoir via a second well. The process inhibits souring in the reservoir insofar as the treated injection water results in a lower level of souring in the reservoir over time than if the feed water had been injected into the reservoir. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for inhibiting souring in a hydrocarbon reservoir comprising: providing a reservoir containing a hydrocarbon and a well in fluid communication with said reservoir; providing a feed water including a plurality of phosphorous constituents, wherein said feed water has an elevated phosphorous concentration; and removing at least some of said phosphorous constituents from said feed water to produce a treated injection water, wherein said treated injection water has a reduced phosphorous concentration less than said elevated phosphorous concentration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said feed water results in a higher level of souring when injected into and residing in said reservoir over time and said treated injection water results in a lower level of souring when injected into and residing in said reservoir over time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said elevated phosphorous concentration is greater than about 30 ppb and said reduced phosphorous concentration is less than about 30 ppb. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said phosphorous constituents are included in a phosphate-containing species, said feed water has an elevated phosphate concentration, and said treated injection water has a reduced phosphate concentration less than said elevated phosphate concentration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4, wherein said elevated phosphate concentration is greater than about 90 ppb and said reduced phosphate concentration is less than about 90 ppb. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising injecting said treated injection water into said reservoir via said well. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said well is a first well, the process further comprising providing a second well in fluid communication with said reservoir, injecting said treated injection water into said reservoir via said first well, and producing said hydrocarbon from said second well. ### Claim 8 A process for inhibiting souring in a hydrocarbon reservoir comprising: providing a reservoir containing a hydrocarbon and a well in fluid communication with said reservoir; providing a feed water including a plurality of phosphorous constituents and a sulfate-containing species, wherein said feed water has an elevated phosphorous concentration and an elevated sulfate concentration; and removing at least some of said phosphorous constituents and at least a portion of said sulfate-containing species from said feed water to produce a treated injection water, wherein said treated injection water has a reduced phosphorous concentration less than said elevated phosphorous concentration and a reduced sulfate concentration less than said elevated sulfate concentration. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8, wherein said elevated phosphorous concentration is greater than about 30 ppb and said reduced phosphorous concentration is less than about 30 ppb. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8, wherein said elevated sulfate concentration is greater than about 100 ppm and said reduced sulfate concentration is less than about 100 ppm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8, wherein said phosphorous constituents are included in a phosphate-containing species, said feed water has an elevated phosphate concentration, and said treated injection water has a reduced phosphate concentration less than said elevated phosphate concentration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process of claim 11, wherein said elevated phosphate concentration is greater than about 90 ppb and said reduced phosphate concentration is less than about 90 ppb. ### Claim 13 A process for inhibiting souring in a hydrocarbon reservoir comprising: providing a reservoir containing a hydrocarbon and a well in fluid communication with said reservoir; providing a feed water including a plurality of phosphorous constituents and a sulfate reducing bacteria, wherein said feed water has an elevated phosphorous concentration and an elevated sulfate reducing bacteria concentration; and removing at least some of said phosphorous constituents and at least a portion of said sulfate reducing bacteria from said feed water to produce a treated injection water, wherein said treated injection water has a reduced phosphate concentration less than said elevated phosphate concentration and a reduced sulfate reducing bacteria concentration less than said elevated sulfate reducing bacteria concentration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein said elevated phosphorous concentration is greater than about 30 ppb and said reduced phosphorous concentration is less than about 30 ppb. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein said elevated sulfate reducing bacteria concentration is greater than about 1 cfu/l and said reduced sulfate reducing bacteria concentration is less than about 1 cfu/l. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein said phosphorous constituents are included in a phosphate-containing species, said feed water has an elevated phosphate concentration, and said treated injection water has a reduced phosphate concentration less than said elevated phosphate concentration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The process of claim 16, wherein said elevated phosphate concentration is greater than about 90 ppb and said reduced phosphate concentration is less than about 90 ppb. ### Claim 18 A process for inhibiting souring in a hydrocarbon reservoir comprising: providing a reservoir containing a hydrocarbon and a well in fluid communication with said reservoir; providing a feed water including a plurality of phosphorous constituents, a sulfate-containing species, and a sulfate reducing bacteria, wherein said feed water has an elevated phosphate concentration, an elevated sulfate concentration, and an elevated sulfate reducing bacteria concentration; and removing at least some of said phosphorous constituents and at least a portion of said sulfate-containing species and said sulfate reducing bacteria from said feed water to produce a treated injection water, wherein said treated injection water has a reduced phosphorous concentration less than said elevated phosphorous concentration, a reduced sulfate concentration less than said elevated sulfate concentration, and a reduced sulfate reducing bacteria concentration less than said elevated sulfate reducing bacteria concentration. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The process of claim 18, wherein said elevated phosphorous concentration is greater than about 30 ppb and said reduced phosphorous concentration is less than about 30 ppb. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The process of claim 18, wherein said phosphorous constituents are included in a phosphate-containing species, said feed water has an elevated phosphate concentration, and said treated injection water has a reduced phosphate concentration less than said elevated phosphate concentration. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The process of claim 20, wherein said elevated phosphate concentration is greater than about 90 ppb and said reduced phosphate concentration is less than about 90 ppb.