Patent ID: 8950494
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: C09K,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method of enhancing oil production from a gas-lifted oil well penetrating a subterranean oil-bearing formation, the method comprising: creating a foamed fluid in the downhole end of the gas-lifted oil well by combining a fluid and a foam-forming amount of a composition comprising a foamer, wherein the foamer is X+ alkyl benzene sulfonate, X+ alkylnapthalene sulfonate, alkyldiphenyloxide disulfonate, dialkyldiphenyloxide disulfonate, naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate, or a combination thereof; X+ is an alkali metal cation or an organic cation; and alkyl is C lifting and producing water or oil from the oil well with the foamed fluid; and cleaning the produced water with a reverse osmosis membrane; wherein, in a reverse osmosis compatibility test, the composition exhibits an equal or less than 10% flux change versus baseline when measured at 2 hours, 6 hours, 24 hours, and 2 weeks from start time of the compatibility test.