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:
Sep. 30, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 23, 2009
Trevor Hughes, Cambridge, GB;
Gary Tustin, Sawston, GB;
Alexander Wilson, Hardwick, GB;
Carlos Abad, Richmond, TX (US);
Trevor Hughes, Cambridge, GB;
Gary Tustin, Sawston, GB;
Alexander Wilson, Hardwick, GB;
Carlos Abad, Richmond, TX (US);
Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Abstract
The recovery of oil from a reservoir is assisted by injecting a diluent into the reservoir formation to reduce the viscosity of the crude oil. This diluent is a mixture of a material which is an asphaltene precipitant, especially supercritical carbon dioxide, and a more polar material which comprises at least one aliphatic compound which includes at least one of a cycloaliphatic ring, an olefinic unsaturation, an ester or ether group. The inclusion of such an aliphatic compound which is more polar than the asphaltene precipitant reduces asphaltene precipitation and can enhance the efficiency of oil recovery when the precipitant is by supercritical carbon dioxide.