Atlantic Richfield Company

Purification Sciences, Inc.

Union Carbide Corporation

W. R. Grace Co.

Apti Inc.

Atlantic Richfield Corporation

Frank E Lowther

Frederick L Voelz

William Mark Bohon

Alden W Olsen

A method for treating a subterranean formation having zones of varying permeablities to alter the flow profile of the formation wherein a specific gelant (i.e. an aqueous solution of ungelled gelatin) is injected into the more permeable zones and is allowed to gel to form a flow-blocking gel therein.

Method for treating formations with gelatin

A method and gelatin pig is provided for scraping and cleaning tubulars. The gelled, cleaning pig has a body comprised of gelled technical gelatin which has a hardened outer layer. The pig is molded in a size sufficient for the periphery of the body to contact the interior wall of the tubular to be cleaned. The outer surface of the gelatin is hardened by merely exposing the outer surface of the gelatin to the atmosphere (i.e. air) or by applying a hardener (e.g. aldehyde) to the outer surface. In operation, the gelatin pig is inserted into and passed through the pipeline to scrap and clean same. The pig is bio-degradable which can be accelerated by adding a bio-reactive agent, e.g. yeast, to the gelatin.

Method of cleaning a tubular with hardened layer gelatin pig

A method and gelatin pig is provided for scraping and cleaning tubulars. The gelled, cleaning pig has a body comprised of gelled material, preferably technical gelatin, which has a hardened, frozen outer layer. The pig is molded in a size sufficient for the periphery of the body to contact the interior wall of the tubular to be cleaned. The frozen outer surface of the gelatin is formed by merely exposing the outer surface of the gelatin to (1) the atmosphere if the ambient temperature is above the freezing temperature of the gelatin or (2) artifical refrigeration. In operation, the gelatin pig is inserted into and passed through the pipeline to scrap and clean same. The gelatin pig is bio-degradable which can be accelerated by adding a bio-reactive agent, e.g. yeast, to the gelatin.

Method of cleaning tubular with frozen layered gelatin pig

A method for treating tubulars wherein a plurality of ablating, gelatin pigs are sequentially passed through the tubular to deposit a relatively thin film or protective layer of gelatin onto the wall of the tubular. All of the plurality of pigs are inserted into the tubular at a single insertion point but each pig substantially treats only its respective portion or length of the tubular. That is, a first pig deposits a gelatin layer on the wall of a first portion or length of the tubular, a second pig deposits a layer on a second portion or length of the tubular, and so forth.

Method of treating tubulars with a plurality of ablating gelatin pigs

A method is provided for treating 'spills' of materials, e.g. an offshore oil spill, wherein an ungelled mixture of gelatin is deposited onto the material and then allowed to gel. As the gelatin gels, it 'traps' or entrains the material into the gelled mass of gelatin whereby the material can readily be retrieved by merely retrieving the gelled gelatin. The gelling of gelatin is fully reversible in that gelatin will return to its liquid state merely upon reheating, thereby allowing the spilled material to be separated from the gelatin so that the material can be recovered and the gelatin to be reused.

Treatment of spills with gelatin

A method for treating tubulars, e.g. a pipeline, wherein an ungelled gelatin solution is mixed with fluids flowing through the tubular to deposit a treatment layer onto the wall of the tubular. The ungelled gelatin is injected into the flowing fluids at a temperature which is at or above the temperature of the fluids in the pipeline. This keeps the gelatin solution liquid (i.e. ungelled) even after mixing with the fluids. Gelatin derived from collagen is mixed with a liquid (e.g water) and heated. A separate treating solution (e.g. anti-freeze, corrosion inhibitor, and/or a drag reducer) can be added into the ungelled gelatin solution as it is mixed. The concentration of gelatin in the solution concentration of gelatin in said ungelled solution is the maximum amount which will allow the solution to remain ungelled at said the temperature of the flowing fluids.

Method of treating tubulars with ungelled gelatin

An ablating gelatin pig for use in tubulars which can easily negotiate the bends, etc in a tubular. Due to the properties of gelatin, the pig will ablate thereby depositing a protective layer onto the wall of the tubular. The pig can be molded outside the tubular or it can be formed in situ. The pig is formed by mixing common gelatin with a heated liquid and then allowing the mixture to cool to ambient temperature. Preferably, the liquid includes a treating solution (e.g. corrosion inhibitor, drag reducer, etc ) which is to be used to treat the pipeline. In some applications, a slug of the treating solution is also passed through the pipeline between two ablating gelatin pigs. For high temperatures applications, a hardener may be added to the pig to increase the melting temperature of the pig and/or a slug of the hardener can also be passed through the pipeline between two ablating gelatin pigs if necessary.

Method for treating tubulars with a gelatin pig

A method and apparatus for treating tubulars (e.g. pipelines, flowlines, tubing, casing, etc.) for corrosion, drag reduction, or the like wherein a mass comprised of a gelatin mixture and magnetic particles is passed through the tubular to deposit a protective layer onto the inner wall of the tubular. The micro particles of magnetized material are entrained within the mass of gelatin and are deposited along with the gelatin to aid in adhering the protective layer on the tubular wall.

Treatment of tubulars with gelatin containing magnetic particles

A method for detecting incipient flashover of power line insulators by use of an image intensifier to detect electromagnetic radiation generated by electrical leakage. To improve detection sensitivity, a stimulus such as ultraviolet radiation or an externally applied RF pulse is used to momentarily increase insulator leakage to generate detectable electrical leakage at contaminated insulators.

Image intensifier monitoring of power line insulator leakage

A method for treating well tubulars and elements (e.g. tubing, casing, sucker rods, etc.) for corrosion, drag reduction, or the like wherein a mass of gelatin is passed downward through the tubular to deposit a protective layer onto the wall of the tubular and/or element. Preferably, the mass of gelatin contains a treating solution therein which forms part of the protective layer. Since such treating solutions can severely damage the production and/or injection formation, the mass is stopped before it completely travels through the tubular and circulation is reversed to return any remaining mass of gelatin and solution back up the tubular towards the surface.

Treatment of well tubulars with gelatin

Magnetic field sensing circuits including wire coils and Hall effect devices are provided which produce high-gain output for a relatively low change in perceived field intensity. Series connected plural Hall effect devices are connected to the coil and include amplifier and integrator circuits interposed at selected points between Hall effect devices to modify the output signal gain and passband. The circuits may include diode and capacitance elements to modify the circuit output signal.

Hall effect device and magnetic coil circuits for magnetic field

A process of synthesizing an end product within an integrated engine-reactor wherein an initial product, e.g., syngas, is generated within a first chamber of the engine-reactor. This product is contacted with a catalyst in a second chamber within the engine-reactor to catalytically synthesize an end product, e.g., methanol, which is then expanded within the engine-reactor to rapidly cool the end product before it is exhausted from the engine-reactor.

Integrated product generation and catalytic product synthesis in an

A method of reducing drag (friction) of a gas (e.g. natural gas) flowing in a gas pipeline at a constant pressure drop between a first point and a second point. The gas flowrate is monitored at the second point as a drag reducer is injected into the gas flow at the first point. The injection rate of the drag reducer is adjusted to provide the maximum flowrate at the second point with the minimum amount of drag reducer. The excess drag reducer is removed from the gas flow at the second point and monitored. Once the maximum flowrate is stabilized, the injection rate of the drag reducer is adjusted to approximately the same rate as any excess drag reducer is being removed at said second point.

Drag reduction method for gas pipelines

Relatively minute changes in magnetic field intensity are sensed by a circuit including a wire coil connected to a Hall effect element to provide the bias current to the element. The Hall effect element is disposed in the magnetic field with the coil and the output signal of the element is proportional to the square of the intensity of the magnetic field. The circuit is included in a device for measuring magnetic anomalies such as stress or corrosion cracks in structures of magnetic material including fluid transmission pipelines.

Coil and Hall device circuit for sensing magnetic fields

A method for producing a high yield explosion without radioactive fallout comprising filling an expendible structure with an explosive mixture of a combustible gas (e.g. methane) and an oxidizer gas (e.g. oxygen) and then detonating said mixture.

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Buffalo, NY, United States of America

Frank E Lowther