Shell Oil Comapny

William Marsh Rice University

Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij, B.v.

Julian Richard Barnes

Hendrik Dirkzwager

Robert Moene

Thomas Carl Semple

Johan Paul Smit

Kirk Herbert Raney

Jasper Roelf Smit

Paul Gregory Shpakoff

James Laurel Buechele

Reinaldo Conrado Navarrete

Quoc An On

Robert Hardy Ellison

Paul Theodore Sharko

James Grace Crump

Marten Adriaan Buijse

Michael Joseph Doll

Andrew Granja Shepherd

Carmen Geraldine Reznik

Catherine Semien

Sjoerd Reindert Van Kuijk

Marinus Cornelis Hendrikus Grutters

Marinus Johannes Faber

Khrystyna Groen

Hendrik Dirkswager

Marinus Cornelis Grutters

Maura Puerto

Willem Johan Louis Genuit

Jeremiah Michael Purcell

Sonja Geib

Sjoerd Reindert Van Juijk

The present invention provides an internal olefin sulfonate composition, comprising water and an internal olefin sulfonate mixture having an average carbon number of at least 20, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate mixture comprises hydroxy sulfonates and alkene sulfonates in a weight ratio of hydroxy sulfonates to alkene sulfonates of at least 3.25. The invention further provides a method of treating a crude oil containing formation.

Internal olefin sulfonate composition

The present invention provides a method for predicting the optimal salinity of individual members of a class of internal olefin sulfonate compositions in a mixture containing the individual member, a brine and hydrocarbons, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate compositions comprise a mixture containing hydroxy alkane sulfonates and alkene sulfonates. The invention further provides use of the weight ratio of hydroxy alkane sulfonates to alkene sulfonates in an internal olefin sulfonate composition to predict the optimal salinity of the surfactant composition in a mixture of the surfactant composition, a brine and an oil.

Method for predicting the optimal salinity of internal olefin sulfonate compositions

The invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising the following steps: a) preparing an internal olefin sulfonate, comprising sulfonating an internal olefin into sulfonated internal olefin followed by contacting sulfonated internal olefin with a base containing solution resulting in the internal olefin sulfonate, wherein sulfonated internal olefin is contacted with the base containing solution in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant, and/or after step a) but before step b), the internal olefin sulfonate and said non-ionic surfactant are combined; b) transporting an aqueous solution comprising the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to the location of the hydrocarbon containing formation; c) providing the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation; and d) allowing the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to interact with the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Method for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery

The invention relates to a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising an anionic surfactant, wherein said composition is in the solid state, and to a shaped article comprising said composition. Preferably, said composition is in the form of a powder. Further, the invention relates to a process for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation comprising the steps of a) transporting said composition or shaped article to the location of the hydrocarbon containing formation; b) dissolving said composition or shaped article in water thereby forming an aqueous fluid containing the hydrocarbon recovery composition; c) providing the aqueous fluid containing the hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation; and d) allowing the hydrocarbon recovery composition to interact with the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Composition and method for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery

A hydrocarbon recovery composition which comprises a first blend of C24-28 internal olefin sulfonates and an injectable fluid composition comprising the hydrocarbon recovery composition, water and/or brine wherein the hydrocarbon recovery composition is present in an amount of from 0.05 to 1.0 wt % of the total injectable fluid composition can be used for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery from a formation.

Composition for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery from a formation

The invention relates to a process for preparing an internal olefin sulfonate, comprising sulfonating an internal olefin into sulfonated internal olefin followed by contacting sulfonated internal olefin with a base containing solution, wherein the molar ratio of internal olefin to solvent for the base is higher than 0.06. Further, the invention relates to an internal olefin sulfonate obtainable by said process.

Process for preparing an internal olefin sulfonate

The invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising: (a) providing a composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises an anionic surfactant based on an alkoxylated primary alcohol having a branched aliphatic group, which group has an average carbon number of from 9 to 15 and an average number of branches of from 0.5 to 2.5, and having an average of at least 0.5 mole of alkylene oxide groups per mole of primary alcohol; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. Further, the invention relates to the hydrocarbon recovery composition that is used in said method.

Method and composition for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery

The invention relates to nonyl alcohols with a low degree of branching and derivatives produced using them. In particular the present invention relates to mixture of primary nonyl alcohols in which at least 80% of the alkyl chains are linear and at least 15% of the alkyl chains are branched at the 2-carbon position and its derivatives. The low degree of branching produces derivatives that are more elongated and less bulky that similar derivatives produced with more highly branched alcohols.

Nonyl alcohols with a low degree of branching and their derivatives

A method is provided for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation. The method comprises providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising a mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules, and contacting hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation with the hydrocarbon recovery composition. The mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules has an average number of carbon atoms of between 19 and 23, and an average number of branches of at least 0.6 per molecule. A hydrocarbon composition produced from a hydrocarbon containing formation, and a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising a mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules are also provided.

Method and composition for enhanced oil recovery

The invention relates to a process for preparing an internal olefin sulfonate, comprising sulfonating an internal olefin, having an average carbon number that is equal to or greater than 20, in a sulfonation reactor into sulfonated internal olefin followed by contacting sulfonated internal olefin with a base containing solution, wherein the sulfonation reactor is cooled with a cooling means having a temperature which is greater than 35&#xb0; C. Further, the invention relates to an internal olefin sulfonate obtainable by said process, and to use of internal olefin sulfonates obtainable or obtained by said process as a surfactant, suitably as a surfactant in chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery.

A method of treating a formation containing crude oil with specific solubility groups and chemical families is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a formation containing crude oil with specific solubility groups and chemical families, wherein the composition comprises a Cinternal olefin sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the crude oil containing formation.

Method and composition for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery from a formation containing a crude oil with specific solubility groups and chemical families

A method of treating a very high salinity high temperature hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation having a brine salinity of above about 13 wt % and a temperature of above about 7&#xb0; C., wherein the composition comprises a Cinternal olefin sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Method and composition for enhanced hydrocarbons recovery from a very high salinity, high temperature formation

The present invention provides a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation comprising (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises one or more internal olefin sulfonates having 17 or more carbon atoms, (b) adding water and/or brine from the hydrocarbon formation to the composition, (c) adding a solubilizer which comprises an ethoxylated alcohol wherein the alcohol before ethoxylation had an average molecular weight of at least about 220 and (d) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. The solubilizer may comprise less than about 0.1 wt %, preferably from about 0.02 to about 0.05 wt %, of the total composition and it may have from about 5 to about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.

Method and composition for enhanced hydrocarbons recovery

A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein (i) when the salinity of the brine is from about 2 wt % to about 4 wt %, the composition comprises a blend of a Cinternal olefin sulfonate and a Cinternal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the Cinternal olefin sulfonate to the Cinternal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30 and (ii) when the salinity of the brine is greater than about 4 wt % up to about 13 wt % the composition comprises a blend of a Cinternal olefin sulfonate and a Cinternal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the Cinternal olefin sulfonate to the Cinternal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

Julian Richard Barnes