US 12,345,127 B2
Insulating fluid for thermal insulation
Vikrant Bhavanishankar Wagle, Abqaiq (SA); Abdullah Saleh Hussain Al-Yami, Dhahran (SA); and Abdullah Awadh, Dammam (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/549,157.
Application 17/549,157 is a division of application No. 16/799,065, filed on Feb. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,313,204.
Application 16/799,065 is a continuation of application No. 15/812,261, filed on Nov. 14, 2017, granted, now 10,570,699, issued on Feb. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0098957 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C09K 8/04 (2006.01); B01J 13/00 (2006.01); E21B 36/00 (2006.01); E21B 33/14 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 36/003 (2013.01) [B01J 13/0065 (2013.01); C09K 8/04 (2013.01); E21B 33/14 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
 
1. An insulating fluid for a wellbore in a subterranean formation, the insulating fluid comprising:
a mixture of an acidic nanosilica dispersion having a pH in a range of 2 to 4 with an alkaline activator, the insulating fluid having a pH in a range of 7 to 12 to insulate production tubing in the wellbore, wherein the acidic nanosilica dispersion comprises silica nanoparticles and an acid, wherein the silica nanoparticles are in a range of 15 wt % to 50 wt % of the acidic nanosilica dispersion and the alkaline activator is in a range of 0.5 vol % to 20 vol %, wherein the alkaline activator comprises an alkanolamine to activate the acidic nanosilica dispersion, and wherein the insulating fluid forms an insulating gel in 2 to 24 hours at a temperature in a range of 100° F. and 300° F.