Patent ID: 8132628

Claim:
A method to increase petroleum production from an oil well drilled into a petroleum reservoir having an oil layer and an aqueous layer having one or more of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ions present, comprising: delivering an acid into the aqueous layer through one or more injection wells drilled into the aqueous layer; delivering one or more of an alkali carbonate or an alkali earth carbonate into the aqueous layer through one or more injection wells drilled into the aqueous layer; and sealing the oil well in a manner to substantially confine an increase in pressure within the petroleum reservoir, wherein delivering the acid into the aqueous later is performed before the one or more alkali carbonate or alkali earth carbonate into the aqueous layer, and the amount of acid delivered is such that the molar concentration of H + ions in the aqueous layer is about two times or more concentrated than the sum of the molar concentrations of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ions present in the aqueous layer.