Marathon Oil Company

Donald C McClure

Hiemi K Haines

A process for recovering oil from a multiple-layered heterogeneous reservoir with a higher oil saturation in the lower permeability layers than in the higher permeability layers. An aqueous surfactant solution is injected into the formation, where it imbibes into the lower permeability layers and displaces a first quantity of oil into the higher permeability layers. Next, a first aqueous fluid is injected to sweep the displaced oil from the higher permeability layers into at least one production well. A gas is injected into the formation to displace a second quantity of oil from the lower permeability layers. The second aqueous fluid is injected to sweep the displaced oil into at least one production well. The process may be repeated one or more times.

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Parker, CO, United States of America

Donald C McClure