Oil recovery employing alkylene carbonates
A method for enhanced oil recovery contacts a gas and an alkylene carbonate with a subterranean formation. The gas may be selected from any gas that is suitable for injection into a subterranean formation and has properties that allow for enhanced recovery of petroleum from a subterranean formation. The alkylene carbonate may be cyclic, straight chained, or combinations thereof.
1. An enhanced oil recovery method comprising:
contacting a subterranean formation with at least one gas suitable for injection into the subterranean formation and at least one alkylene carbonate, wherein the contacting comprises treating the subterranean formation with a mixture of at least one gas and at least one alkylene carbonate concurrently.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one gas suitable for injection into a subterranean formation comprises carbon dioxide.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the carbon dioxide is in a supercritical state.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one gas suitable for injection into a subterranean formation is selected from the group consisting of: methane, ethane, propane, butane, nitrogen and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate comprises a cyclic alkylene carbonate.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate comprises a straight chained alkylene carbonate.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate comprises a propylene carbonate.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate further comprises a butylene carbonate.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate is selected from the group consisting of: an ethylene carbonate, a butylene carbonate and a combination thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate is selected from the group consisting of: 1,2 dodecyl carbonate, 1,2 tetradecyl carbonate, 1,2 hexadecyl carbonate, 1,2 octadecyl carbonate and a combination thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate comprises a C 12-14 alkyl glycidyl ether carbonate.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one alkylene carbonate comprises the formula:
wherein R is an alkyl group.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
contacting at least one additional chemical with the subterranean formation.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one additional chemical is selected from the group consisting of: a solvent, a surfactant, a wetting agent and combinations thereof.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the solvent is an oleophilic solvent.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of employing a tertiary enhanced oil recovery system.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the tertiary enhanced oil recovery system is selected from the group consisting of: a water-oil-gas system, a cyclic steam stimulation, a steam flooding, a foam system, a thermal stimulation and combinations thereof.
18. Oil recovered by the method of claim 1 .