Method of using thermal insulation fluid containing hollow microspheres
AssigneeBJ Services Company
InventorsXiaolan Wang, Qi Qu
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Abstract
A thermal insulating fluid contains microspheres of hollow spherical particulates. The presence of the hollow spherical particles improves the thermal insulating properties of the fluid by imparting to the thermal insulating fluid a low heat transfer coefficient. The hollow particulates may be inorganic or organic in nature and include hollow spheres of glass, ceramics and plastics. The thermal insulating fluid is capable of controlling the heat transfer from a production tubing or transfer pipe to one or more surrounding annuli and the environment. In addition to reducing heat transfer in the producing well, heat transfer in the fluid produced from the well is also minimized.
Claims22
A method for minimizing heat transfer in a fluid produced from a well which comprises introducing into the well a thermal insulating fluid having hollow microspheres.
A method for reducing heat transfer in a producing well comprising the steps of introducing to the well a thermal insulating fluid having hollow microspheres and producing a fluid from the well while minimizing heat transfer therein.
A method for reducing heat transfer in a producing well comprising the steps of introducing to the well a thermal insulating fluid having hollow microspheres and producing fluids from the well while minimizing heat transfer therein.
A method for enhancing the thermal insulation of a production tubing or transfer pipe surrounded by at least one annuli and/or reducing convection flow velocity in the at least one annuli, comprising introducing to the at least one annuli a thermal insulating fluid having hollow microspheres;
- and maintaining the thermal insulating fluid in contact with the at least one annuli until the convection flow velocity is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.