Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an internal olefin sulfonate, comprising sulfonating an internal olefin into sulfonated internal olefin followed by contacting sulfonated internal olefin with a base containing solution, wherein the molar ratio of internal olefin to solvent for the base is higher than 0.06. Further, the invention relates to an internal olefin sulfonate obtainable by said process.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising vinylidene olefin sulfonates is described. A method of treating a crude oil formation and a method of preparing the hydrocarbon recovery composition are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising: (a) providing a composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises water and an anionic surfactant which is an internal olefin sulfonate (IOS), which has a weight ratio of branched IOS molecules to linear IOS molecules N which is greater than 0 to smaller than 11:89; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. Further, the invention relates to a hydrocarbon recovery composition which comprises the composition used in said method, and to a hydrocarbon containing composition produced from a hydrocarbon containing formation which in addition to hydrocarbons contains the composition used in said method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation comprising (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises one or more internal olefin sulfonates having 17 or more carbon atoms, (b) adding water and/or brine from the hydrocarbon formation to the composition, (c) adding a solubilizer which comprises an ethoxylated alcohol wherein the alcohol before ethoxylation had an average molecular weight of at least about 220 and (d) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. The solubilizer may comprise less than about 0.1 wt %, preferably from about 0.02 to about 0.05 wt %, of the total composition and it may have from about 5 to about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising: (a) providing a composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises an anionic surfactant based on an alkoxylated primary alcohol having a branched aliphatic group, which group has an average carbon number of from 9 to 15 and an average number of branches of from 0.5 to 2.5, and having an average of at least 0.5 mole of alkylene oxide groups per mole of primary alcohol; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. Further, the invention relates to the hydrocarbon recovery composition that is used in said method.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising vinylidene based alkoxylate derivatives. A method of treating a crude oil formation and a method of preparing the hydrocarbon recovery composition are also described.

Abstract: An injectable fluid for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The injectable fluid includes ((i) when the salinity of the brine is from about 2 wt % to about 4 wt %, a composition that comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30 and (ii) when the salinity of the brine is greater than about 4 wt % up to about 13 wt %, a composition comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30.

Abstract: A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein (i) when the salinity of the brine is from about 2 wt % to about 4 wt %, the composition comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30 and (ii) when the salinity of the brine is greater than about 4 wt % up to about 13 wt % the composition comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Abstract: A method of treating a formation containing crude oil is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a formation containing crude oil wherein the composition comprises a high molecular weight internal olefin sulfonate and a viscosity reducing compound; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the crude oil containing formation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising a combination of an internal olefin sulfonate and an alkoxy glycidyl sulfonate, more specifically a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising surfactant and water, wherein the surfactant comprises a combination of an internal olefin sulfonate with a chain length of greater than C20 and an alkoxy glycidyl sulfonate selected from an ethoxylated glycidyl sulfonate and a propoxylated glycidyl sulfonate. Further, the invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises a blend of an internal olefin sulfonate and an alkoxy glycidyl sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Abstract: A method is provided for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation. The method comprises providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising a mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules, and contacting hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation with the hydrocarbon recovery composition. The mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules has an average number of carbon atoms of between 19 and 23, and an average number of branches of at least 0.6 per molecule. A hydrocarbon composition produced from a hydrocarbon containing formation, and a hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising a mixture of branched internal olefin sulfonate molecules are also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to nonyl alcohols with a low degree of branching and derivatives produced using them. In particular the present invention relates to mixture of primary nonyl alcohols in which at least 80% of the alkyl chains are linear and at least 15% of the alkyl chains are branched at the 2-carbon position and its derivatives. The low degree of branching produces derivatives that are more elongated and less bulky that similar derivatives produced with more highly branched alcohols.

Abstract: A method of treating a very high salinity high temperature hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation having a brine salinity of above about 13 wt % and a temperature of above about 7° C., wherein the composition comprises a C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Abstract: A method of treating a formation containing crude oil with specific solubility groups and chemical families is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a formation containing crude oil with specific solubility groups and chemical families, wherein the composition comprises a C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the crude oil containing formation.

Abstract: A method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein (i) when the salinity of the brine is from about 2 wt % to about 4 wt %, the composition comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C24-28 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30 and (ii) when the salinity of the brine is greater than about 4 wt % up to about 13 wt % the composition comprises a blend of a C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate and a C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate wherein the weight ratio of the C20-24 internal olefin sulfonate to the C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate is from about 90:10 to about 70:30; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation comprising (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation, wherein the composition comprises one or more internal olefin sulfonates having 17 or more carbon atoms, (b) adding water and/or brine from the hydrocarbon formation to the composition, (c) adding a solubilizer which comprises an ethoxylated alcohol wherein the alcohol before ethoxylation had an average molecular weight of at least about 220 and (d) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation. The solubilizer may comprise less than about 0.1 wt %, preferably from about 0.02 to about 0.05 wt %, of the total composition and it may have from about 5 to about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.