Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Euthimios Vittoratos

Stacey Ian Zones

Kamala R Krishna

Paul J Marcantonio

Joseph A Biscardi

Guang Zhang

Patrick Lee McGuire

Bradley W Brice

Patrick Lee Mcguire

Bradley Brice

Method for increasing recovery of crude oil from a reservoir having an oil-bearing porous subterranean formation with a permeability of greater than 10 millidarcies, the formation including rock having pores with crude oil and connate water having a multivalent cation content present within the pores. The crude oil in the formation has an API gravity of less than 30&#xb0;, a viscosity greater than 1 centipoise, and undissolved solids suspended therein. Injection water having undissolved solids suspended therein, a total dissolved solids content of 30,000 ppm or less and a multivalent cation content such that a ratio of the multivalent cation content of the injection water to the multivalent cation content of the connate water is less than 0.9, is injected into the formation, to produce an emulsion within the formation. The emulsion has an undissolved suspended solids content of at least 0.05% by weight of emulsion.

Hydrocarbon recovery process

Methods are provided for improving the production of heavy/viscous crude oil from subterranean formations. The methods include secondary production through use of a displacement fluid (typically a waterflood) wherein the subterranean formation is subjected to cyclic periods of overinjection of the displacement fluid followed by underinjection of the displacement fluid, but keeping the overall cumulative voidage replacement ratio (VRR) within a defined range, typically targeted to be about 1. In some aspects, the initial production of such heavy/viscous crude oil is limited, if possible, followed this cyclic secondary production methodology. By keeping the initial production, VRR, and cumulative VRR in defined ranges, the expected ultimate recovery (EUR) can be optimized, and overall production increased for example by as much as 100% or more relative to conventional production methods.

Method for recovering heavy/viscous oils from a subterranean formation

The invention is directed to a method of making a small crystal SSZ-32 zeolite, known as SSZ-32X. The catalyst is suitable for use in a process whereby a feed including straight chain and slightly branched paraffins having 10 or more carbon atoms is dewaxed to produce an isomerized product, with increased yield of isomerized material and decreased production of light ends.

Preparing small crystal SSZ-32 and its use in a hydrocarbon conversion process

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Richmond, CA, United States of America

Euthimios Vittoratos