Patent ID: 6269881
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: B01F,C09K,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of recovering crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon containing formation which comprises (a) injecting into said formation an aqueous solution containing an effective amount of alkylaryl sulfonate, surfactant prepared by alkylating aromatic compounds with an alpha-olefin stream having a broad distribution in olefin carbon numbers, the olefin stream is the carbon chain C.sub.10 bottoms of a commercial ethylene synthesis alpha-olefin reactor and comprises C.sub.10+ through C.sub.58 carbon chain fractions, and wherein the aromatic alkyl compound is selected from the group consisting of benzene, tuolene, xylene, or mixtures thereof, sulfonating and then neutralizing the resulting alkylate, and (b) displacing said solution into the formation to recover hydrocarbons from a production well.