Gel-like composition for use as a pig in a pipeline
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorsWilliam Jaggard, Allen A. Scales
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gel-like mass is prepared comprising a highly gelled organic liquid which can be fluidized after its intended use. A hydrocarbon liquid is gelled with a metal salt of an aliphatic substituted orthophosphate ester to form a substantially self-sustaining gel-like mass (slug or pig) when flowing under pressure through a pipeline. The pig may be employed as an interfacial control for different fluids flowing in the same pipeline, and also to remove residual fluids and/or solids from a pipeline.
Claims5
A method of removing residual fluids and solids from a pipeline which comprises:
- a. as an initial step treating the inner surface of the pipeline to remove solid and semi-solid deposits therefrom;
- b. introducing into said pipeline a gel-like mass composed of an organic liquid which is gelled with a gelling quantity of a metal salt of an aliphatic substituted orthophosphate ester, and
- c. moving said gel-like mass through said pipeline under pumping pressure which forms said gel-like mass into a self-sustaining body having its peripheral surfaces contiguous with the inner surfaces of the pipeline to remove residual liquids and solids therefrom.
A method of removing residual fluids and/or solids from a pipeline which comprises:
- a. introducing into said pipeline a gel-like mass composed of an organic liquid which is gelled with a gelling quantity of a metal salt of an aliphatic substituted orthophosphate ester and which includes, in addition, a substance which functions to break said gel after a period of time to form a readily flowable mass, and
- b. moving said gel-like mass through said pipeline under pumping pressure which forms said gel-like mass into a self-sustaining body having its peripheral surfaces contiguous with the inner surfaces of the pipeline to remove residual liquids and solids therefrom.
A method of removing residual fluids and hydrocarbon solids from a pipeline which comprises:
- a. introducing into said pipeline a solvent for solid hydrocarbon residuals and shutting in the pipeline for a period of time sufficient on the inner surface of said pipeline;
- b. introducing into said pipeline a gel-like mass composed of an organic liquid which is gelled with a gelling quantity of a metal salt of an aliphatic substituted orthophosphate ester, and
- c. moving said gel-like mass through said pipeline under pumping pressure which forms said gel-like mass into a self-sustaining body having its peripheral surfaces contiguous with the inner surfaces of the pipeline to remove residual liquids and solids therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.