Patent ID: 8220546

Claim:
A method for removing bound water from oil and/or gas bearing subterranean formations comprising: injecting into a formation an effective amount of a microemulsion system comprising: a surfactant subsystem including: between about 0.1 weight percent and about 10 weight percent of at least one monoalkyl branched propoxy sulfate, between about 0.1 weight percent and about 30 weight percent of at least one low foam generating ethoxylated alcohol comprising a reaction product of an alcohol having between about 8 and about 10 carbon atoms and having an average of about 7 ethylene oxide groups per alcohol molecule, and between about 0.1 weight percent and about 30 weight percent of at least one block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide having a HLB value between about 7 and 15; a co-solvent subsystem including: between about 0.1 weight percent and about 20 weight percent of isopropyl alcohol (IPA), between about 0.1 weight percent and about 5 weight percent of 1-octanol, and between about 0.1 weight percent and about 15 weight percent of a polypropylene glycol; and a solvent subsystem including: between about 2 weight percent and about 25 weight percent of d-limonene or dipentene, and between about 20 weight percent and about 75 weight percent of water, where the effective amount being sufficient to remove water blocks and to enhance formation production.