Phillips Petroleum Company

Other

R. L. Clampitt & Associates, Inc.

Richard L Clampitt

James E Hessert

Curtis B Threlkeld

Riley Bryan Needham

Billy L Swanson

Jeffrey A Russell

David F Boneau

Sulfonated uintaite is prepared by sulfonating a naturally occurring uintaite charge with a sulfonating agent such as sulfur trioxide, fuming sulfuric acid, chlorosulfonic acid, oleum, or concentrated sulfuric acid to produce sulfonic acids of uintaite. The resulting sulfonic acids are neutralized with a caustic neutralizing agent and sulfonated uintaite is the product. The sulfonated uintaite product is dried and packaged. The produced sulfonated uintaite is useful in oil and gas well working fluids (drilling muds). Neutralization of the resulting sulfonic acids with sodium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide as the caustic neutralizing agent yields water and oil-soluble or dispersible salts of the sulfonated uintaite. Neutralization with Ca(OH) (calcium hydroxide) as the caustic neutralizing agent yields a product which is preferable in oil-based muds.

Process for making sulfonated uintaite and well fluid additives including sulfonated uintaite

Sulfonated asphalt/hydrogenated conjugated diene-monovinyl aromatic copolymer compositions, preparations thereof, and use in well working fluid compositions.

Sulfonated asphalt

Thermally stable foamable gelled compositions suitable for post-primary oil recovery, e.g., steam- or gas-foamed systems comprising water, a surfactant, a polymeric viscosifier, an aldehyde component, and at least one phenolic component such as resorcinol, catechol, and the like, as well as selected oxidized phenolic materials such as 1,4-benzoquinone of natural or syntheic origin and natural and modified tannins. The gel compositions can additionally contain gel stabilizers such as sulfomethylated quebracho (SMQ) and chemical buffering agents such as sodium bicarbonate.

Foamable compositions and formations treatment

Thermally stable foamable gelled compositions suitable for post-primary oil recovery e.g., steam- or gas-foamed systems comprising water, a surfactant, a polymeric viscosifier, an aldehyde component, and at least one phenolic component such as resorcinol, catechol, and the like, as well as selected oxidized phenolic materials such as 1,4-benzoquinone of natural or synthetic origin and natural and modified tannins. The gel compositions can additionally contain gel stabilizers such as sulfomethylated quebracho (SMQ) and chemical buffering agents such as sodium bicarbonate.

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

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

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

Drilling fluid compositions comprising an aqueous gel prepared from water and certain polymers such as polyacrylamides and related polymers, and methods of preparing said compositions.

Drilling fluid compositions and methods of preparing same

In an underground in situ combustion process for the recovery of oil from formations having high permeabilities, after combustion has been initiated, water containing a surfactant and air are injected under conditions such that the water upon contact with the hot formation vaporizes, creating slugs of condensible foam in an amount sufficient to generate a significant resistance factor of at least 5, which improves volumetric sweep efficiency by retarding the mobility of the steam and subsequent slugs of air. Air and water, including a surfactant, can be injected simultaneously as a mixture or as alternate slugs of water containing a surfactant and air.

Fire floor process

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.

Method for acidizing subterranean formations

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

Method for the acid treatment of a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore comprising introducing alternate slugs of acid and an aqueous gel prepared from water-soluble cellulose ethers into a borehole penetrating a formation to be acidized. The slugs of gel serve as spacer slugs to direct the acid slugs into the portions of the formation or zones of a multi-zone formation it is desired to acidize.

Acidizing wells

An improved process for decreasing the permeability of a subterranean oil-bearing formation which comprises injecting an aqueous surfactant solution containing a chemically crosslinkable, water-dispersible polymer which prevents the surfactant from foaming until it is in the formation and after the polymer breaks down due to heat in the formation caused by steam which is used to carry the aqueous solution into the formation. In accordance with one embodiment, gelled or ungelled cellulose ether polymers in an aqueous surfactant solution are injected with steam into the more permeable or more depleted portions of a subterranean oil-bearing formation to produce a selective blocking due to the formation of foam in the more permeable sections of the formation which forces the remaining injection steam to produce oil from less depleted portions of the formation.

Selective plugging of formations with foam

A subterranean formation having at least one borehole is treated with an aqueous gel wherein crude oil and water were produced from the subterranean formation through the borehole until the production of crude oil was reduced due to the presence of sandy material restricting the borehole, and the production of crude oil is increased as a result of said treatment as, for example, by producing crude oil and water from the formation at a lower water-oil ratio as compared to the water-oil ratio prior to treatment with the aqueous gel.

Growing community of inventors

Bartlesville, OK, United States of America

Richard L Clampitt