Phillips Petroleum Company

Spi Technologies, LLC

James E Hessert

Richard L Clampitt

Brent J Bertus

Chester C Johnston, Jr

Curtis B Threlkeld

Riley Bryan Needham

Lyle D Burns

Kenneth Doyle Oglesby

Michael A Burns

Chester C Johnston

David F Boneau

James A Glass

Kenneth D Oglesby

A water based solution having a controllable gel time is disclosed. The solution has predetermined ratios of a water soluble silicate solution having at least one alkali metal, a predetermined ratio of a water dispersible polymer, and a predetermined ratio of a water soluble initiator containing a reactive carbonyl compound.

Multi-component aqueous gel solution for control of delayed gelation timing and for resulting gel properties

Excessive water production from a producing gas well is substantially reduced by the injection of a hydrocarbon-diluted water-in-oil emulsion comprising a viscosifying polymer such as polyacrylamide, the injected emulsified polymer swelling on contact with connate water in the subsurface gas producing formation to restrict transfer of water therethrough toward the producing gas well.

Treatment of subsurface gas-bearing formations to reduce water

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix-acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-dispersible polymer of acrylamide, an acid, a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said polymer and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

Composition for acidizing subterranean formations

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix-acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions in acidizing operation, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-soluble cellulose ether, an acid, a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said cellulose ether and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix-acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions in acidizing operations, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-dispersible biopolysaccharide, an acid, a water-soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said biopolysaccharide and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

A method for reducing the quantity of water produced from a well bore-penetrated subterranean formation and for increasing the production rate of fluid hydrocarbons produced from said formation. Said method comprises injecting into said formation an aqueous solution of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, and contacting said polyacrylamide in situ with an aqueous solution containing divalent and/or trivalent metal cations.

Method for reducing the permeability of subterranean formations to brines

Aqueous gelable compositions comprising water, a polymer, a polyvalent metal compound wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state, a reducing agent, and a complexing agent for complexing with newly reduced ions of said metal and increasing the gelation time of said compositions; and methods of preparing said compositions.

Aqueous gelable compositions having extended gelation time and methods

Samples of oil from a formation to be flooded are equilibrated with a series of surfactant systems comprising a petroleum sulfonate surfactant, a cosurfactant having limited solubility in water and brine. By using sulfonates having an equivalent weight within the range of 375 to 500 and using cosurfactants having a solubility in water varying from 0.5 to 20 grams per 100 grams of water, some of the mixtures will partition into two or more phases while others will not. Then a separate sulfonate-cosurfactant-brine system is made up corresponding to one of those which partitions and the system is injected into the reservoir where on contact with the oil it forms a multiphase bank.

Oil recovery method using in situ-partitioning surfactant flood systems

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions in acidizing operations, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-dispersible biopolysaccharide, an acid, a water soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said biopolysaccharide and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

Method for acidizing subterranean formations

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-dispersible polymer of acrylamide, an acid, a water soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said polymer and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

Gelled acidic compositions suitable for either matrix acidizing or fracture-acidizing of subterranean formations, and methods of using said compositions in acidizing operations, are provided. Said compositions comprise water, a water-soluble cellulose ether, an acid, a water soluble compound of a polyvalent metal wherein the metal can be reduced to a lower polyvalent valence state and cause gelation of the water containing said cellulose ether and said acid, and a reducing agent capable of reducing said metal and causing said gelation.

Improvements in secondary recovery operations for the recovery of oil, and other oil field operations wherein subterranean formations are contacted with a fluid medium, are accomplished through the use of aqueous mediums comprising new aqueous gels prepared from water and biopolysaccharides.

Aqueous gels and uses thereof

Improvements in secondary recovery operations for the recovery of oil, and improvements in well-drilling operations, are accomplished through the use of aqueous gels exhibiting high gel strength prepared from water and a mixture of (a) at least one cellulose ether, e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose, and (b) at least one polyacrylamide.

Cellulose ether-polyacrylamide aqueous gels

A composition of matter comprising water, a polymer capable of being crosslinked by polyvalent metal cations, a reducible species containing said polyvalent metal in a higher oxidation state, and a reducing agent selected from among KI, MnCl.sub.2, Mn(NO.sub.3).sub.2, and K.sub.4 Fe(CN).sub.6 which composition is capable of forming a gel by crosslinking is provided. A method is also provided for in situ gel formation using this crosslinking composition. In one of its embodiments a method is provided for increasing the rate of gel formation by the addition of H+ ion.

Gel formation by polymer crosslinking

Improvements in secondary recovery operations for the recovery of oil, and improvements in well drilling operations, are accomplished through the use of aqueous gels exhibiting high gel strength prepared from water and a mixture of (a) at least one cellulose ether, e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose, and (b) at least one polyacrylamide.

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Bartlesville, OK, United States of America

James E Hessert