Optimized salinity for enhanced water flood applications

摘要

Methods for enhanced oil recovery from subterranean formations by treating a produced water prior to injection into the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir and manipulating produced water compositions to increase the rate and/or amount of oil that is recovered from producing wells and/or a hydrocarbon reservoir. The treatment of the produced water can increase the pH of the water from about 0.75 to about 2.0.

主权项

1. A method for increasing oil recovery from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir formation, comprising:
recovering a produced water from the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir formation and determining a salinity of the produced water; determining relative percentages of a carbonate mineral, a sulfate mineral, and a clay mineral in subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir rock; treating the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir formation to increase oil recovery by altering the salinity of the produced water to create a treated produced water, wherein at least one property of the treated water is based on the salinity of the produced water and the relative percentages of the carbonate mineral, the sulfate mineral, and the clay mineral in the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir rock; and injecting the treated produced water into the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir formation, wherein the treated produced water interacts with the subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir formation.