US 11,939,848 B1
Nitrogen lift in wells
Ahmed Bassam Al-Arnous, Udhailiyah (SA); Zakareya Rashed BenSaad, Abqaiq (SA); and Nauwar Mohsen Al-Otaibi, Riyadh (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/085,384.
Int. Cl. E21B 43/12 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 43/122 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
placing solidified nitrogen at a downhole location within a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation, wherein the solidified nitrogen is encapsulated by an emulsifying agent configured to dissolve in response to exposure to a downhole fluid;
exposing the solidified nitrogen encapsulated by the emulsifying agent to the downhole fluid at the downhole location within the wellbore, thereby dissolving the emulsifying agent and releasing the solidified nitrogen;
allowing the solidified nitrogen to sublimate into nitrogen gas within the wellbore, thereby reducing hydrostatic column in the wellbore; and
producing the downhole fluid from the wellbore to a surface location.