US 12,077,712 B2
Using silica nanoparticles to reduce the deposition of solid sulfur in natural gas wells
John Edmond Southwell, Glen Ellyn, IL (US); and Samuel James Maguire-Boyle, Spring, TX (US)
Assigned to Nissan Chemical America Corporation, Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/007,574
Filed by NISSAN CHEMICAL AMERICA CORPORATION, Houston, IL (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/035214
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/247546, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,555, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,558, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,719, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,718, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,715, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,729, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,703, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/067,706, filed on Aug. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0220269 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 43/34 (2006.01); C09K 8/532 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/532 (2013.01) [C09K 2208/10 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
 
1. A method to reduce the deposition of solid sulfur (S8(s)) in a natural gas producing well, the method comprising the steps of:
a) operating a natural gas production field comprising one or more natural gas production wells with each well containing a tubing string of connected pipes that allow gas to travel from a reservoir to the surface,
b) introducing hydrophobic surface modified silica nanoparticles into the tubing string, wherein the hydrophobic surface modified silica nanoparticles are surface treated with phenyltrimethoxysilane, and
c) contacting the hydrophobic surface modified silica nanoparticles with a gaseous sulfur (S8(g)) present in the gas resulting in an interaction that causes the reduction of the deposition of solid sulfur (S8(s)).