Patent ID: 8235113
Filing Date: 2012-08-07
Classification: C09K

Abstract:
1. A method of increasing the recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir having natural fractures and which is undergoing waterflood where the reservoir is in communication with an injection wellbore for fluid to be delivered to the reservoir and a production wellbore for hydrocarbon production from the reservoir, comprising the steps of injecting through the injection wellbore into the fractures in the reservoir a membrane-forming fluid to form a membrane over the surface of at least part of formation adjoining the fractures, wherein the membrane-forming fluid comprises material selected from the group consisting of hydroxy compounds, polyhydroxy compounds, polyethylene glycol, galactomannans crosslinked with boric acid, cellulose acetate, silicates, and copper hexacyanoferrate; injecting through the injection wellbore into the reservoir a fluid to establish a chemical potential gradient across the membrane and letting fluid enter the formation across the membrane to increase the pressure inside the formation and to force additional hydrocarbon from the formation to the production wellbore.