Abstract: Provided herein are novel surfactant compositions and methods having application in a variety of fields including enhanced oil recovery, the cleaning industry as well as groundwater remediation. The surfactant compositions are based on lignin bio-oil with a phenol hydroxyl group as the main functional group. The compositions include carboxylic surfactant s and mixed hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfactant structures, which can be used for the recovery of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Abstract: Provided herein are novel surfactant compositions and methods having application in a variety of fields including enhanced oil recovery, the cleaning industry as well as groundwater remediation. The surfactant compositions are based on lignin bio-oil with a phenol hydroxyl group as the main functional group. The compositions include carboxylic surfactant s and mixed hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfactant structures, which can be used for the recovery of crude oil compositions from challenging reservoirs.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for solvent liquefaction of biomass to produce liquid products such as transportation fuel. The method uses a novel solvent combination that promotes liquefaction relatively quickly, and it reduces the need to transport large amounts of hydrogen or hydrogen-carrying solvents. It operates at lower pressure than previous methods, does not require a catalyst or hydrogen gas or CO input, and provides very high conversion of biomass into a bio-oil that can be further processed in a petroleum refinery. It also beneficially provides a way to recycle a portion of the crude liquefaction product for use as part of the solvent combination for the biomass liquefaction reaction.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for rendering biomass-derived pyrolysis oil miscible with refinery hydrocarbons comprises mixing a high oxygen content bio-oil having an oxygen content of at least about 10 wt. % with a low oxygen content bio-oil having an oxygen content of less than about 8 wt. % to produce a blended oil. The blended oil may be hydrotreated to produce a deoxygenated hydrotreated mixture from which water is removed using a separator, resulting in a low oxygen content hybrid bio-oil intermediate miscible in refinery process streams. A portion of the low oxygen content hybrid bio-oil intermediate may be recycled with the high oxygen content bio-oil or removed for use in a refinery process stream for further hydroprocessing.

Abstract: A method of producing oil soluble surfactants from lignin is disclosed, along with a method for recovering oil from underground formations by means of a surfactant flooding system containing these lignin surfactants. Lignin is reduced in the presence of a carbon monoxide or hydrogen reducing agent at high temperature and pressure, alkoxylated with an .alpha.-olefin epoxide and then changed into oil soluble lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of sulfonation, sulfation and alkoxysulfation.

Abstract: The invention is a method for forming a high viscosity gel by mixing about 0.9% to about 3.0% by weight of hydroxy propyl cellulose having an average molecular weight greater than about 1,000,000 about 0.4% to about 3.0% by weight of an alkali metal dodecyl sulfate in the ratio of about 3:1 to about 1:1.5 of cellulose to sulfate, and a brine having a salinity greater than about 20,000 ppm TDS.

Abstract: The invention is an aqueous shear-thickening composition comprising in one embodiment about 0.2% to about 1% by weight of hydroxypropyl cellulose having an average molecular weight between about 1,000,000 and about 1,300,000, about 0.1% to about 0.7% by weight of an alkali metal dodecyl sulfate in a ratio of about 2.5:1 to about 1.5:1 hydroxypropyl cellulose to alkali metal dodecyl sulfate, and water containing less than about 2000 ppm TDS.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing oil soluble surfactants from lignin which comprises reacting benzyl alcohol with lignin phenol at elevated temperature in the presence of a non-nucleophilic basic catalyst to produce a lignin phenol reaction product, and sulfonating the lignin phenol reaction product to produce an oil soluble lignin surfactant, said lignin phenol produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen which creates a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenol, said reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200.degree. C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, and recovering the oil soluble lignin phenol from the reduction mixture.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing oil soluble surfactants from lignin which comprises reacting an alkylphenol having an alkyl chain of about 5 to about 20 carbon atoms with formaldehyde at elevated temperature to produce an intermediate product and reacting the intermediate product at an elevated temperature with a lignin phenol sulfonate to produce an oil soluble lignin surfactant, said lignin phenol sulfonate produced by placing lignin in contact with water, converting the lignin into low molecular weight lignin phenol by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen which creates a reduction reaction mixture comprising oil soluble lignin phenol, said reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200.degree. C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, recovering the oil soluble lignin phenol from the reduction mixture and sulfonating the lignin phenol to produce lignin phenol sulfonate.

Abstract: The invention is a method for decreasing formation permeability in an underground formation around a wellbore by injecting an aqueous fresh water solution comprising about 0.9% to about 3.0% by weight of hydroxy propyl cellulose having an average molecular weight greater than about 1,000,000 and about 0.4% to about 3.0% by weight of an alkali metal dodecyl sulfate in the ratio of about 3:1 to about 1:1.5 of cellulose to sulfate, said formation must contain a connate brine having a salinity greater than about 20,000 ppm TDS, or an injected brine having a salinity greater than about 20,000 ppm TDS to mix and react with the aqueous solution to form a gel. The invention is also a method for forming a high viscosity gel by mixing hydroxy propyl cellulose, alkali metal dodecyl sulfate and sufficient salinity.

Abstract: The invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises injecting into an underground formation through an injection well about 0.05 to about 1.0 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of a surfactant system, injecting a drive fluid into the formation through the injection well to push the surfactant slug towards the production well, and recovering hydrocarbons at the production well, said surfactant system comprised of a lignin phenol surfactant, a lignin, a primary amine having about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, and a solubilizer.

Abstract: The invention is a foam method for improving conformance during a steam flood or carbon dioxide flood in an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises injecting into an injection well about 0.05% to about 2% by weight aqueous surfactant solution, and then injecting into the injection well a flooding medium of steam or carbon dioxide, said surfactant solution comprising a surfactant having the formulaR(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n SO.sup.4 M.sup.+where R is a lignin phenol produced by reducing lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200.degree. C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, n has an average value of about 2 to about 25, and M.sup.+ is an alkali metal or ammonium cation.

Abstract: A method of producing surfactants from lignin is disclosed by reducing lignin in the presence of a carbon monoxide or hydrogen reducing agent at high temperature and pressure to produce low molecular weight lignin phenols and subjecting the lignin phenols to one or a combination of several reactions such as alkoxylation, alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkoxysulfation, and sulfomethylation. The lignin surfactants so produced can be employed in a surfactant system to recover oil from underground formations.

Abstract: The invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons with a surfactant flooding system, wherein the surfactant slug comprises about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of an alkylphenol lignin surfactant. The alkylphenol lignin surfactant is produced by reacting an alkylphenol having about 6 to about 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain with formaldehyde in basic solution at a temperature of about 50.degree. to about 120.degree. C. for about 15 minutes to about 3 hours to form a first reaction product. The first reaction product is then reacted with a kraft lignin in solution at a temperature of about 100.degree. to about 160.degree. C. for about 30 minutes to about 5 hours to form an alkylphenol lignin reaction product.

Abstract: A method of producing surfactants from lignin is disclosed by reducing lignin in the presence of a carbon monoxide or hydrogen reducing agent at high temperature and pressure to produce low molecular weight lignin phenols and subjecting the lignin phenols to one or a combination of several reactions such as alkoxylation, alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkoxysulfation, and sulfomethylation. The lignin surfactants so produced can be employed in a surfactant system to recover oil from underground formations.