Chevron Research Company

Chevron Research & Technology Company

David M Marquis

Kiyoshi Katsumoto

Kiran R Bakshi

Stephen G Paradis

Seymour J Lapporte

Donald L Kuehne

A method for enhancing the recovery of petroleum from an oil bearing formation during injection of a non-condensible gas comprises the at least periodic injection of a foam forming composition or a preformed foam into the reservoir. The foam which is produced comprises a mixture of a non-condensible gas, water and a non-ionic surfactant. The non-ionic surfactants which can be employed in the present invention are those non-ionic surfactants which have a HLB value of about 14 to less than 20, preferably 15-18, and which provide a stable foam when the surfactant is mixed with brine and/or water and a non-condensible gas. The method is preferably employed within a light oil bearing carbonate formation.

Enhanced oil recovery technique employing nonionic surfactants

A method for enhancing the recovery of petroleum from an oil bearing formation during injection of a non-condensible gas comprises the at least periodic injection of a foam forming composition or a preformed foam into the reservoir. The foam comprises a mixture of a non-condensible gas, preferably CO.sub.2, water and an alpha-olefin sulfonate. The alpha-olefin sulfonate comprises a mixture of hydroxy-sulfonates and alkene-sulfonates wherein the ratio of alkene-sulfonates to hydroxy-sulfonates is preferably not greater than about 4. In addition, the hydroxy-sulfonates comprises 3-hydroxy and 4-hydroxy-sulfonates wherein the ratio of 3-hydroxy-sulfonates to 4-hydroxy-sulfonates is at least about 2. The method is preferably employed within a light oil bearing formation comprising sandstone.

Method of enhancing recovery of petroleum from an oil-bearing formation

A process for the preparation of 2,6-dialkylaniline which comprises the reaction of 1,3-dialkylbenzene with isobutene in the presence of a hydrogen fluoride catalyst to form 1,3-dialkyl-5-tertiary-butylbenzene, which is subsequently nitrated in the presence of a soluble mercuric salt catalyst to form 2-nitro-1,3-dialkyl-5-tertiary-butylbenzene, which is then catalytically hydrogenated to give 2,6-dialkyl-4-tertiary-butylaniline, followed by pyrolysis in the presence of a heterogeneous acidic catalyst.

Nitration process for the preparation of 2,6-dialkylaniline

A process for producing maleic anhydride from a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon selected from n-butane and n-butene feed which comprises: (a) feeding the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon and air to a reactor; (b) contacting the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon and air in the reactor with a catalyst comprising vanadium and phosphorus oxides at reaction conditions including a temperature between 550.degree. and 1000.degree. F. so as to obtain a reactor effluent containing maleic anhydride, unreacted butane, nitrogen, oxygen, and acrylic, acetic or maleic acid or mixtures of the foregoing acids; (c) removing maleic anhydride from the reactor effluent to obtain maleic anhydride-lean effluent; (d) removing said acids from at least a portion of the maleic anhydride-lean effluent to obtain a purified recycle stream containing less than 100 ppm of the acids; and (e) recycling the purified stream to the reactor. Preferably the acids are removed in step (d) by water and/or caustic scrubbing the maleic anhydride-lean effluent.

Maleic anhydride production with recycle treatment

A process for producing maleic anhydride from n-butane which comprises:

Maleic anhydride production

A crystalline vanadium (IV) phosphate composition having an intrinsic surface area in excess of 10 square meters per gram is prepared by the reaction of orthophosphoric acid with a vanadium (IV) oxycompound. The vanadium compound is suspended in a suitable hydroxylic organic medium, for example isobutanol, and contacted with the acid at a temperature in the range 20.degree. C. to 210.degree. C. until the conversion is completed. The catalyst is used in the oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride.

Method for preparing maleic anhydride

A crystalline vanadium (IV) phosphate composition having an intrinsic surface area in excess of 10 square meters per gram is prepared by the reaction of orthophosphoric acid with a vanadium (IV) oxycompound. The vanadium compound is suspended in a suitable hydroxylic organic medium, for example isobutanol, and contacted with the acid at a temperature in the range 20.degree. C. to 210.degree. C. until the conversion is completed.

Method of preparing vanadium (IV) phosphate composition with high

An absorption process for separating a maleic or phthalic anhydride from a gaseous mixture containing the anhydride which comprises contacting the gaseous mixture with a liquid absorbent comprising polymethylbenzophenones, at least a portion of which benzophenones contain at least 3 methyl groups, at a temperature for the absorbent between about 20.degree. and 235.degree. C and at a pressure sufficient to effect absorption of the anhydride into the absorbent. Preferably the absorption process is used to remove maleic anhydride from a gas stream, preferably the absorbent includes dixylylketone, and preferably the absorption is carried out by countercurrent contacting in an absorber column.

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Lafayette, CA, United States of America

David M Marquis