Process for oil recovery using multifunctional anionic surfactants

Abstract

A process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs by injecting an aqueous fluid containing from about 0.05 to about 2.0% by weight of a surfactant of structure where m+n=1-30 or more, x+y=0-28, EO=oxirane, PO=methyl oxirane, M=H, Na, K, NH 3 , Amine, Ca, Mg, R and R1 are each separately and independently H, branched or linear alkyl, branched or linear alkenyl, A=aromatic, and, a+b=0 to 30.

1 . A process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs where a surfactant composition is injected into one or more injection wells and the oil recovered from one or more producing wells where said surfactant composition is comprised of
 a) one or more surfactants having both a sulfonate and an ether carboxylate functionality group on the same aromatic molecule with the structure   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
           Where, 
           A=aromatic, 
           R and R1 are each separately and independently H, branched or linear alkyl, branched or linear alkenyl, 
           EO=oxirane, 
           PO=methyl oxirane, 
           m+n=1-30 or more, 
           x+y=0-28, 
           a+b=0 to 30, and 
           M=H, Na, K, NH 3 , Amine, Ca, Mg, 
         
         b) an aqueous solvent, 
         e) and,
 recovering the oil from one or more of the same or different producing wells. 
 
       
     
     
         2 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the one or more surfactants having both a sulfonate and an ether carboxylate functionality group on the same molecule are derived from an aromatic molecule. 
     
     
         3 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the aromatic is selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, phenyl ether. 
     
     
         4 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the one or more surfactants is present at a concentration from about 0.05 to about 2% by weight of the total injected aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of short chain alcohol, glycol, glycerin, glycol ether. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the aqueous solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, synthetic brine, injection brine, produced brine. 
     
     
         8 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the one or more injection wells may also serve as the one or more producing wells. 
     
     
         9 . The process for the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs described in  claim 1  where the one or more injection wells are different than the one or more producing wells.