The University of Texas System

Condea Vista Company

Vista Chemical Company

Harcros Chemicals, Inc.

Basf Se Corporation

Taminco US Inc.

Upali Peter Weerasooriya

Gary A Pope

John Lin

Paul A Filler

Janet L Watson

Bruce E Leach

Quoc P Nguyen

Donald T Robertson

Peter Paul Radford

Christian Bittner

Christian E Spindler

Jack Tinsley

Tonyette S Sandoval

Kishore K Mohanty

Steve V Orsak

Elida G Partain

Aaron Boorem

John Boorem

K Lee Matheson

Howard Stevenson

Cynthia L Aeschbacher

Guenter Oetter

Sophie Maitro-Vogel

Sophie Vogel

John William Mitchell

Jack F Tinsley

Mark W Hellums

Robin Jacques Matton

Larry N Britton

Krishna Panthi

Kelly D Knouse

LeAnn M Rowe

Himanshu Sharma

Pinaki Ghosh

Kevin Sikkema

Kurt Cheshire

Peter Radford

Linton LeCompte

David A Riley

Clint Osborne

Dewey L Smith

James Lyle Bennett

Peter Roose

G Gerald Barr

Brian Hodle

Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson

Christian Spindler

Gerald G Barr

Vogel Sophie

The present invention is directed to surfactants with small hydrophobes, which are of non-conventional hydrophobe size. The surfactants of the present invention utilize a small hydrophobic moiety with a polyalkoxylate chain comprising PO, BO and/or EO groups, with optional ionic groups, such as anionic, cationic and zwitterionic, to achieve the desired hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB). The present invention is further directed to formulations comprising the surfactants of the invention, and methods of using the surfactants of the invention, including in enhanced oil recovery applications.

Surfactants having non-conventional hydrophobes

Provided herein are compounds, compositions, and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In particular, provided herein are co-solvents, as well as aqueous compositions comprising these co-solvents, that can be used for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from reservoirs.

Alkoxylated co-solvents

Provided herein are compounds, compositions, and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In particular, the short hydrophobe anionic surfactants as well as aqueous compositions comprising these surfactants are provided that can be used for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Short hydrophobe anionic surfactants

Provided herein are, inter alia, compositions including a surfactant and a phenol-alkoxylate co-solvent useful in enhanced oil recovery. The compositions and methods provided herein are particularly useful for oil recovery under a broad range of reservoir conditions (e.g. high to low temperatures, high to low salinity, highly viscous oils).

Phenol-alkoxylate co-solvent surfactant composition

Provided herein are inter alia non-surfactant aqueous compositions and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery. In particular, non-surfactant compositions including light co-solvents and an alkali agent presented herein can be used, inter alia, for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Light co-solvent compositions

Provided herein are inter alia novel compositions and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery. In particular, the large hydrophobe compounds and mixtures thereof presented herein can be used, inter alia, for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Large hydrophobe surfactants

Provided herein are inter alia novel compositions and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery. In particular, the short hydrophobe compounds and mixtures thereof presented herein can be used, inter alia, for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Alkyl hydrophobe surfactants

Provided herein are inter alia novel compositions and methods having application in a variety of fields including the field of enhanced oil recovery, the cleaning industry as well as groundwater remediation. In particular, the alkoxy carboxylate compounds and mixtures thereof presented herein can be used, inter alia, for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Alkoxy carboxylate surfactants

Compositions and methods of synthesis of anionic surfactants by alkoxylation of a Guerbet alcohol (GA) having 12 to 36 carbon atoms using butylene oxide, and optionally propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide followed by the incorporation of a terminal anionic group are described herein. The GA of the present invention is made by a facile and inexpensive method that involves high temperature base catalyzed dimerization of alcohols with 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The large hydrophobe ether surfactants of the present invention find uses in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications where it is used for solubilization and mobilization of oil and for environmental cleanup. Further, the hydrophobe alkoxylated GA without anionic terminal group can be used as an ultra-high molecular weight non-ionic surfactant.

Anionic polyalkoxy group comprising surfactants on basis of guerbet-alcohols, method of manufacture and use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications

A process for reacting, in the presence of a particular calcium containing catalyst, an amine having an active hydrogen and one or more of a fatty acid ester or a fatty acid.

Process for making fatty amides

Provided herein, inter alia, are novel compositions and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery. In particular, the quaternary ammonium compounds and mixtures thereof presented herein can be used, inter alia, for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Quaternary ammonium surfactants

Compositions and methods for oil recovery using a surfactant-less alkaline-polymer system in hard water or hard brine is described in the instant invention. The formulation further includes a chelating agent, an alkaline agent (which can be the same as the chelating agent), and a co-solvent. The formulations as disclosed herein are capable of forming a surfactant in-situ resulting in Winsor Type III micro-emulsions of low interfacial tension.

Surfactant-less alkaline-polymer formulations for recovering reactive crude oil

Provided herein are, inter alia, compositions including a surfactant and a novel compound useful in enhanced oil recovery. The compositions and methods provided herein may be particularly useful for oil recovery under a broad range of reservoir conditions (e.g. high to low temperatures, high to low salinity, highly viscous oils).

Short chain alkylamine alkoxylate compositions

The present invention describes the method of making an ether sulfate surfactant solution hydrolytically stable by adding one or more alkalinity generating agents at levels greater than 0.05%. The surfactant solutions of the present invention have half-lives &#x3e;8 months at 100&#xb0; C. and find uses in EOR applications, environmental cleanups, detergent industry, and any other surfactant based high temperature applications.

Compositions and methods for controlling the stability of ethersulfate surfactants at elevated temperatures

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Upali Peter Weerasooriya