The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 24, 1988
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1986
Jeffrey H Harwell, Norman, OK (US);
John F Scamehorn, Norman, OK (US);
Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (US);
Abstract
A method for selectively plugging the more permeable regions of an underground formation having non-uniform permeability wherein a first surfactant solution is injected into the formation in an amount effective to contact a substantial portion of the surface area of the highly permeable regions of the formation, which first surfactant solution is characterized as having a selected chromatographic velocity and as being capable of reversibly adsorbing onto the surface of the pores of the formation. After injecting the first surfactant solution, a water-soluble spacer fluid is injected in an amount sufficient to place the first surfactant solution a selected distant into the formation, the spacer fluid being characterized as having a pre-injection viscosity about equal to the first surfactant solution. After injecting the space fluid, a second surfactant solution is injected in an amount about equal to the amount of the first surfactant solution, and characterized as having a pre-injection viscosity about equal to the first surfactant solution and the spacer fluid, and as having a selected chromatographic velocity which is higher than the chromatographic velocity of the first surfactant solution, and has having a composition such that it will be capable of interacting physically with the first surfactant solution to produce a phase change so that the product of such interaction is capable of at least partially plugging the pores of the formation in which such product is placed.