Streamer filler material and process
OwnerØyvind HILLESUNDinventor
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Abstract
This disclosure presents a streamer filler material that is a low density gel formed from a two-part, mix-curable polymer, and methods of making streamers using such materials. One embodiment of the filler material features a two-part silicone gel mixed with a paraffinic oil. The two-part silicone gel can make up 15% to 25%, by weight or volume, of the mixture. Methods of making such materials include forming a first unreactive mixture having a first reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and a second unreactive mixture having a second reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and mixing the first and second mixtures in a paraffinic oil system to make a gel. The streamer can be loaded with the filler by pumping or extruding the mixture.
Claims21
A streamer filler material, comprising:
- a two-part silicone gel;
- and
- a paraffinic oil.
A method, comprising:
- mixing a first amount of a two-part silicone gel with a second amount of a paraffinic oil, wherein the first amount and the second amount are unequal;
- and
- curing the mixture to yield a gel.
A method, comprising:
- forming a first unreactive mixture comprising a first reaction component of a two-part polymerization reaction;
- forming a second unreactive mixture comprising a second reaction component of the two-part polymerization reaction;
- adding the first unreactive mixture to a paraffin oil system;
- adding the second unreactive mixture to the paraffin oil system to form a reaction mixture;
- curing the reaction mixture to form a gel;
- and
- adding the gel to a geophysical streamer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.