Suspension for enhanced oil recovery

• US 10,240,079 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanders, Aaron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Washville, Jeffrey D
• Application Number:
  US15/448,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20170174979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2215/0431 Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2215/044 Numerical composition values of components or mixtures, e.g. percentage of components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2215/045 Numerical flow-rate values
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/31331 Perforated, multi-opening, with a plurality of holes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/584 characterised by the use of specific surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/594 Compositions used in combination with injected gas , e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gasC09K8/592 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/08 for liquids or viscous products water-main or service pipe systems E03B7/04; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/12 for injecting a composition into the line
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/54 using solvents, e.g. supercritical solvents or ionic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87571 Multiple inlet with single outlet

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include suspensions for use in enhanced oil recovery, and methods of using the suspensions for recovering oil. Suspensions of the present disclosure include a nonionic surfactant that can dissolve in supercritical carbon dioxide, and a metal salt having a concentration of 200 to 1 parts-per-million.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

supercritical carbon dioxide flowing in piping; and

a suspension injected into the supercritical carbon dioxide, the suspension having a nonionic surfactant and a metal salt at a concentration of 200 to 1 parts-per-million, where the suspension includes an acid formed with an oxidizing agent prior to the suspension being injected into the supercritical carbon dioxide.

2. The system of claim 1, where the piping has an inner diameter of 2.5 cm to 16 cm.

3. The system of claim 2, where the suspension is injected into the supercritical carbon dioxide at a concentration of 100 to 5000 parts-per-million, where the nonionic surfactant is completely soluble in the supercritical carbon dioxide.

4. The system of claim 1, where the metal salt is selected from the group consisting of a carboxylate, a boron salt, a titanium salt, a metal carbonate, a metal chloride, a metal sulfate, a metal phosphate, a metal sulphonate, a metal phosphonate, a metal-cyanide salt, and combinations thereof.