Conoco Inc.

Continental Oil Company

Gifford G McClaflin

Donald L Whitfill

Charles R Clark

Albert M Durr, Jr

Henry A Bourne, Jr

Kang Yang, Deceased

A method of improving production of heavy crude oil from a well by mixing a first solution of water soluble surfactant and water, and preferably forming a mixture of the first solution and an oil solvent, and pumping the mixture into the well to mix with the heavy crude oil to be produced. A desirable surfactant is a water soluble ethoxylated nonylphenol and a desirable oil solvent is kerosene distillate.

Method and device for blending surfactant mixtures for treatment of oil

Composition and method for treating wellbores and well formations to remove and inhibit accumulations of paraffin. The composition comprises a liquid mixture of a water soluble ethoxylated alkyl phenol and an alcohol containing one to four carbon atoms. Preferred are a water soluble nonoxynol having an average number of ethylene oxide units per molecule in the range of approximately 20 to 50 and methyl alcohol. The composition is circulated in the wellbore either continuously or in batch treatments.

Composition and method for treatment of wellbores and well formations

Disclosed is a process whereby heavy, viscous crude oil may be produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation utilizing a jet pump without the problems associated with cavitation damage of the jet pump found in the prior art. The jet pump is operated with a power fluid comprising water and surfactant, the power fluid forming an emulsion with the heavy, viscous crude oil in the jet stream of the jet pump.

Method for producing heavy, viscous crude oil

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water containing an effective amount of a phosphate ester of a specific block copolymer. The resulting emulsion has a lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

Method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water containing an effective amount of the adipate ester of a certain polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block polymers. The method is especially useful when co-produced 'hard' water is used. The resulting oil-in-water emulsion has a lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the method comprises adding water containing an effective amount of a combination of an alkaryl sulfonate having a molecular weight of 415 to 470 and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alcohol.

A method of removing metal alkaryl sulfonates from a hydrocarbon solution is disclosed. Briefly, the method comprises (a) contacting the hydrocarbon solution containing metal alkaryl sulfonates with an aqueous basic solution containing a 'recovery' surfactant, (b) forming a hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase containing metal alkaryl sulfonates and (c) separating the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase.

Removal of metal alkaryl sulfonates from hydrocarbons

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water containing an effective amount of a combination of an ethoxylated alkyl phenol and a sodium or ammonium salt of an ethoxylated alcohol sulfate. The resulting emulsion has a lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water containing an effective amount of a combination of an ethoxylated alkyl phenol and an ethoxylated polypropylene glycol. The resulting emulsion has a lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water, certain specific surfactants and a basic material to the hydrocarbon. The resulting emulsion has a much lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

An improvement in the method of transporting viscous hydrocarbons through pipes is disclosed. Briefly, the improvement comprises adding water containing an effective amount of a combination of an ethoxylated alkyl phenol and a low molecular weight alkaryl sulfonate. The resulting emulsion has a lower viscosity and is more easily transported.

A method of removing specific water-soluble anionic surfactants from water is disclosed. Briefly, the method comprises forming an emulsion by adding a nonionic surfactant and a hydrocarbon to the water and anionic surfactant. The emulsion is broken, with the anionic and nonionic surfactant being present in the hydrocarbon layer.

Removal of anionic surfactants from water

A soluble oil concentrate for forming stable emulsions of a minor part of concentrate and a major part of water. The concentrate comprises a combination of paraffinic and naphthenic base oils with an emulsifier package including a mahogany sulfonate, alkali metal hydroxide, alkylol amine, alkylene glycol, and carboxylic acids including fatty, rosin, and naphthenic acids.

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Ponca City, OK, United States of America

Gifford G McClaflin