Abstract: Many petroleum formations contain water having high salinity and/or high concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium or magnesium dissolved therein, and are additionally at temperature from about 70.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F. Most surfactants and polymers suitable for use in fluids or emulsions used in oil recovery operations are either ineffective in high salinity or high hardness waters, or cannot tolerate the higher temperatures encountered in many such formations. A water-external phase, viscous emulsion containing a water soluble and/or dispersible alkylpolyalkoxyalkylene sulfonate or alkylarylpolyalkoxyalkylene sulfonate and as a phase stabilizing additive, a water dispersable and/or soluble petroleum sulfonate, is an effective fluid for flooding oil formations containing brine whose salinity is from 70,000 to 220,000 parts per million total dissolved solids and also having temperatures as high as 300.degree. F.

Abstract: A process and system are disclosed for producing bitumen from a subterranean reservoir of tar sands as unconsolidated oil bearing sands. The process comprises basically (1) washing out a cavity in the formation to the bottom thereof, (2) pouring a graded gravel in the cavity for building a conical shaped gravel pack, (3) running a screen down through the apex of the cone to the cavity bottom to bury the screen, (4) ejecting hot fluids into the cavity for melting bitumen from the tar sands, and (5) flowing the melted bitumen through the gravel pack and screen for filtering out sand and gravel from the melted bitumen for recovering the bitumen at the surface. A system for producing bitumen from tar sands is disclosed, and a method for forming a gravel pack in an unconsolidated oil bearing sand formation is disclosed.

Abstract: Method of and composition for the treatment of unconsolidated sandy formations to stabilize the formation comprising injecting a treating composition consisting essentially of, on a volume basis, 10 to 25% of furfuryl alcohol, 1-4% of a nonionic dispersing surfactant, 1-4% of water, 0.5-1.5% of a silane coupling agent, 1-5% of a catalyst, 5-15% of a low in aromatics petroleum distillate fraction and 47 to 76% of a high in aromatics petroleum fraction, into said sand formation, effecting polymerization of said furfuryl alcohol, and forming a fluid permeable consolidated sand in said formation.

Abstract: The first step in a method for forming a high heat resistant, non-dissolvent sand control pack, as for resisting the high heat eroding and dissolving effects of steam flooding comprises (1) forming a slurry of gravel of silicon carbide alone, or with garnet or zircon mixed therewith. The high heat resistant unconsolidated, permeable, non-dissoluble, and long-life sand control pack consists of the granular material silicon carbide alone, or with garnet or zircon mixed therewith for resisting dissolving during steam flooding for minimizing migration of sand and other granular materials into the well bore from the production zone of hydrocarbon bearing formation.

Abstract: A method of gravel packing a well comprising injecting into the well bore opposite a production zone a slurry of a particulate material which can be, for example, silicon carbide, zircon or garnet to form a deposit of the granular material against the wall of the well bore. The in-place, particulate material is then electrolessly plated with a metal such as nickel to form a consolidated, permeable, coated sand control pack thereby minimizing migration of sand and other granular materials into the well bore from the production zone.

Abstract: A method of gravel packing a well comprising injecting into the well bore opposite a production zone a slurry of metal-coated sand to form a deposit of the coated sand against the wall of the well bore. The in-place, metal-coated sand is then electrolessly plated with a metal such as nickel to form a consolidated permeable, coated sand pack thereby minimizing migration of sand and other granular materials into the well bore from the production zone.

Abstract: Method of and composition for the treatment of unconsolidated sandy formations to stabilize the formation comprising injecting a treating composition consisting essentially of, on a volume basis, 10 to 25% of furfuryl alcohol, 1-4% of a nonionic dispersing surfactant, 1-4% of water, 0.5-1.5% of a silane coupling agent, 1-5% of a catalyst, 5-15% of a low in aromatics petroleum distillate fraction and 47 to 76% of a high in aromatics petroleum fraction, into said sand formation, effecting polymerization of said furfuryl alcohol, and forming a fluid permeable consolidated sand in said formation.

Abstract: Method for the treatment of unconsolidated sandy formations to stabilize such formation comprising the sequential steps of:1. Injecting a liquid hydrocarbon containing a minor amount of a water wetting nonionic surface active agent and, from about 0.5 to about 3% of water, into said formation to remove any excess water present therein without completely drying the sand, or optionally to water wet an essentially water free sand formation;2. Injecting a first treating solution or suspension composed of from about 3 to 20% by volume of a inorganic silicon halide and 80 to 97% by volume of hydrocarbon solvent into the sand formation being consolidated;3. Injecting a liquid hydrocarbon into said sand formation to effect removal of any excess inorganic silicon halide from the area being consolidated;4.

Abstract: Process for producing bitumen from a subterranean reservoir of tar sands comprises heating the casing for melting the bitumen from the tar sands adjacent the casing for forming a passage in the reservoir from upper perforations at the top of the reservoir to lower perforations at the bottom of the reservoir, setting a packer in an annulus between the casing and a tubing therein between the upper and lower perforations, circulating hot fluids from the upper perforations and back into lower perforations for melting more bitumen from the tar sands for forming a predetermined size cavity around the casing, adding a packer and a screen to the tubing, ejecting a gravel pack material slurry into the cavity around the screen, ejecting more hot fluids into the cavity for melting more bitumen from the tar sands, and flowing the melted bitumen through the gravel pack, lower perforations, and screen for filtering out the sand and gravel from the melted bitumen for recovering the melted bitumen at the surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing self-cleaning spring filters and at least two different spring filters are disclosed. One filter formed by the method comprises a helically grooved hollow mandrel with holes in the grooves and a helical spring closely fitted therearound. The pitch of the spring convolutions is opposite to that of the mandrel grooves so that the mandrel provides lateral support to the spring equivalent to that provided by a solid cylindrical bar for maintaining uniform diameter and concentricity of the spring convolutions while eliminating lateral displacement thereof during high load operations. While this one filter is secured at its bottom to the well, a modification requires securing thereof only at its top to the well with a packer.

Abstract: Improved method of and composition for the treatment of an oil-containing incompetent formation to prevent the movement of unconsolidated sand particles in an underground formation by forming a treating composition of sand, cement, silica flour and a sufficient amount of petroleum oil fraction containing an oil-wetting agent therein to oil-wet the sand, cement and silica flour particles suspending the resulting treating composition in an aqueous carrier medium, injecting the aqueous suspension against the unconsolidated formation at a pressure effective to force the treating composition into contact with the unconsolidated formation, contacting the placed treating composition with an aqueous curing solution to water wet the cement particles, permitting the cement to set and form a permeable cement and recovering oil through the cement.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method of and composition for the treatment of an incompetent formation penetrated by a wellbore to prevent the movement of sand particles from the formation to the wellbore during recovery of the formation fluids by forming a treating composition of sand, cement, water and xanthan gum in a hydrocarbon carrier oil, injecting the treating composition into the formation under pressure, permitting the cement to set and form a permeable barrier film between the formation and wellbore and recovering fluids from the formation through the formed permeable cement barrier.

Abstract: One of at least two different spring filters comprises a helically grooved hollow mandrel with holes in the grooves and a helical spring closely fitted therearound. The pitch of the spring convolutions is opposite to that of the mandrel grooves so that the mandrel provides lateral support to the spring equivalent to that provided by a solid cylindrical bar for maintaining uniform diameter and concentricity of the spring convolutions while eliminating lateral displacement thereof during high load operations. While this filter is secured at its bottom to the well, a modification requires securing thereof only at its top to the well with a packer. Further, full width spacers are formed on the spring convolutions for precise separation thereof and for preventing twisting and lateral displacement of the individual convolutions and for prevention of any variation of the gauge between the adjacent helical spring convolutions particularly while under magnified loads.