The Standard Oil Company

Keng S Chan

Harvey E Alford

Bayram Kalpakci

Hugh F Vest

Stephen J Majoros

Thomas H Webb

A method is disclosed for recovering petroleum from a subterranean reservoir penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well comprising: injecting into the reservoir through the injection well a surfactant slug comprising an aqueous solution containing about 0.001 to about 5% by weight of an amphoteric surfactant and an effective amount of a high molecular weight homopolysaccharide gum thickener derived from fungus strains of the genus Schlerotium to provide the surfactant slug with a viscosity exceeding the viscosity of the petroleum in the reservoir; and recovering fluid from the production well.

Method of enhanced oil recovery employing thickened amphoteric

An improved method for enhanced oil recovery utilizing caustic or alkaline water flooding which avoids precipitation of hydroxides in the injection water or plugging of the reservoir. A lignosulfonate material is blended with the injection water before the addition of the alkaline chemical, the amount of lignosulfonate being sufficient to prevent formation of any precipitates.

Caustic flooding with stabilized water for enhanced oil recovery

This invention relates to a process for separating heavy water from solutions. An anionic surfactant system is added to a solution of deuterium oxide in water. The separating agent added to the solution will form a first phase containing a majority of the surfactant with an increased concentration of D.sub.2 O and a second phase containing excess water with a decreased concentration of D.sub.2 O. The first stage is separated from the second stage, and the process is optionally repeated in a multi-stage or a continuous operation.

Process for separating D.sub.2 O from H.sub.2 O using surfactant systems

Water-in-oil microemulsions useful as fire-resistant hydraulic fluids are prepared from an oil, such as mineral oil, water, emulsifiers, and an aliphatic diol, such as 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol.

Low viscosity water-in-oil microemulsions

The optimal salinity of an emulsifier system comprising an alcohol and a neutralized oxidized solvent extracted oil can be controlled to match the salinity of the brine used in the tertiary oil recovery process by controlling the acid number of the solvent extracted oil during the oxidation procedure, controlling the extent of the neutralization during neutralization of the oxidized solvent extracted oil, or both.

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South Euclid, OH, United States of America

Keng S Chan