Atlantic Richfield Company

Conocophillips Company

Michael D Erwin

Curtis G Blount

Albert F Chan

James K Eastlack

A composition, formulation, and method for removing water from a near-wellbore portion of a subterranean formation containing a crude oil and penetrated by a wellbore. The formulation contains alkylpolyglycoside, ethoxylated alcohol and linear alkyl alcohols. The composition contains a hydrocarbonaceous liquid, alkylpolyglycoside, ethoxylated alcohol and linear alkyl alcohol.

Water block removal with surfactant based hydrocarbonaceous liquid system

Apparatus for insertion in a well which is producing fluids from multiple zones for measuring the concentration of water in the fluids flowing through the well to determine which zone may be producing excessive quantities of water. The apparatus transmits microwave frequency range radiation within a section of the wellbore. The apparatus may utilize a portion of the well casing and a conductor member which is centered in the wellbore by spaced apart centralizers to form a coaxial transmission line within the wellbore. The apparatus may be traversed through the wellbore on a wireline type cable for continuous measurement of the water content of the water-oil mixture flowing through the well to determine which zone is producing excessive amounts of water into the production fluids. A change in operating frequency of an oscillator furnishing the microwave range energy is compared with power loss through the apparatus to determine if a water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsion is present in the wellbore fluid flow stream. Alternate embodiments of the apparatus include downhole transmitting and receiving antennas for directing an RF energy beam through the wellbore fluids. A volumetric flowmeter is connected to the apparatus for continuous measurement of fluid flow rate for comparison with the water concentration in the well fluids at various points in the wellbore.

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Anchorage, AK, United States of America

Michael D Erwin