Ultra-high salinity surfactant formulation
View Patent ↗Methods of enhanced oil recovery are disclosed that use compositions including an alkyl polyether anionic surfactant having the general structure R 1 JA, wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 18 primary or secondary radical group, J is a random, block, alternating, or alternating block polyether segment having the structure [(PO) x (EO) y (BO) z ], wherein x is 4 to 18, y is 0 to 20, and z is 0 to 5, and A is an anionic group; a co-surfactant having the general structure (R 2 ) q (B)Ph-L-Ph(D)(R 3 ) r , wherein R 2 and R 3 are each, independently in each instance, a C 8 -C 24 linear or branched, primary or secondary alkyl group, B and D are anionic groups, q is 1 to 3, r is 1 to 3, and L is O or CH 2 ; and an alkoxy alcohol.
1. A composition, comprising:
a) greater than 75% of active ingredients comprising:
an alkyl polyether anionic surfactant having the general structure R 1 JA, wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 18 primary or secondary radical group, J is a random, block, alternating, or alternating block polyether segment having the structure [(PO) x (EO) y (BO) z] , wherein x is 4 to 18, y is 0 to 20, and z is 0 to 5, and A is an anionic group;
a co-surfactant having the general structure (R 2 ) q (B)Ph-L-Ph(D)(R 3 ) r , wherein R 2 and R 3 are each, independently in each instance, a C 8 -C 24 linear or branched, primary or secondary alkyl group, B and D are anionic groups, q is 1 to 3, r is 1 to 3, and L is O or CH 2 ; and
an alkoxy alcohol; and
b) up to 25% of water.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the co-surfactant is a dialkylarylsulfonate ether.
3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the alkoxy alcohol has the general structure R 4 [(PO) m (EO) n (BO) o ]OH, wherein R 4 is a C 1 to C 6 linear, branched, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic hydrocarbyl group, m is 0 to 3, n is 1 to 10, and o is 0 to 3.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein z is 0, L is O, and A is SO 3 Na, CH2CH2SO3Na, CH2COONa, or PO3Na.
5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein B and D are each SO 3 Na, and the alkoxy alcohol has the general structure R 4 [(PO) m (EO) n (BO) o ]OH, R 4 is a C 1 to C 6 linear, branched, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic hydrocarbyl group, m is 0 to 3, n is 1 to 10, and o is 0 to 3.
6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein o is 0, m is 0, and R 4 is a linear or branched C 4 alkyl group.
7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein R 2 and R 3 are each, independently in each instance, a C 8 to C 12 linear primary alkyl group, and q and r are each 1.
8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein R 1 is a C 10 to C 15 primary linear alkyl group.
9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein J is a block polyether segment.
10. The composition of claim 9 , further comprising a water soluble polymer.
11. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a salt water solution having at least about 100,000 ppm total dissolved solids and at least about 4,000 ppm of alkaline earth ions.
12. The composition of claim 4 , further comprising a salt water solution having at least about 100,000 ppm total dissolved solids and at least about 4,000 ppm of alkaline earth ions.
13. The composition of claim 9 , further comprising a salt water solution having at least about 100,000 ppm total dissolved solids and at least about 4,000 ppm of alkaline earth ions.