Compositions for enhanced oil recovery
First Claim
1. A composition consisting essentially of:
- (a) a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof;
(b) an amphoteric surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof; and
(c) a solvent selected from a water source, a coupling agent, or a mixture of two or more thereof.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Compositions and methods for increasing recovery, or flowback, of hydrocarbon compounds from hydrocarbon-containing subterranean reservoirs. The compositions include a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and a solvent. The concentrated compositions are storage stable and easily diluted with a water source such as produced water to form injectates suitable for injecting into one or more hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean reservoirs. The injectates convert oil-wet rocks to water-wet but do not cause formation of emulsions with hydrocarbon compounds within the subterranean environment. Injection of the injectates into a reservoir results in an increase in the yield of hydrocarbons recovered, in particular from low permeability, low porosity reservoirs such as those formed by or encountered in hydraulic fracturing and/or in certain geographic locations.
18 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A composition consisting essentially of:
-
(a) a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof; (b) an amphoteric surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof; and (c) a solvent selected from a water source, a coupling agent, or a mixture of two or more thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of increasing recovery of a hydrocarbon from a subterranean reservoir, the method comprising:
-
combining a concentrate consisting essentially of a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof, an amphoteric surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof, and a coupling agent or a mixture of two or more thereof with a water source to form an injectate, the injectate comprising 10 ppm to 10,000 ppm total surfactant based on the weight of the injectate; injecting the injectate into the subterranean reservoir; and collecting a hydrocarbon from the subterranean reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A composition consisting essentially of:
-
(a) a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof; (b) an amphoteric surfactant or a mixture of two or more thereof; (c) a solvent selected from a water source, a coupling agent, or a mixture of two or more thereof; and (d) a demulsifier, a proppant, or a combination thereof, wherein the demulsifier is selected from the group consisting of polyethylenimine alkoxylates, alkoxylated alkylphenol formaldehyde resins, alkoxylated amine-modified alkylphenol formaldehyde resins, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, crosslinked ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, and mixtures of two or more thereof.
-
Specification