Method of well treatment
View Patent ↗The invention provides a method of well treatment comprising introducing into the matrix surrounding a hydrocarbon well bore hole an emulsion the discontinuous phase of which comprises a non-polymerizable, water or oil miscible liquid carrier, a polymerizable monomer and a thermally activated polymerization initiator, said monomer constituting from 2 to 40% wt. of said discontinuous phase.
1. A method of well treatment comprising introducing into the matrix surrounding a hydrocarbon well bore hole an emulsion the discontinuous phase of which comprises a non-polymerizable, water or oil miscible liquid carrier, a polymerizable monomer and a thermally activated polymerization initiator, said monomer constituting from 2 to 40% wt. of said discontinuous phase.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discontinuous phase contains both non-crosslinking and crosslinking monomers.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discontinuous phase is oil-miscible and wherein the continuous phase of said emulsion is aqueous.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said emulsion further contains a stabilizer.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discontinuous phase contains 2 to 30% wt. of a non-crosslinking oil-soluble polymerizable monomer, 0.5 to 20% wt. of a crosslinking oil soluble polymerizable monomer, and 0.04 to 0.15% wt. of a polymerization initiator said monomers constituting from 2 to 40% wt. of said discontinuous phase.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monomer is a styrenic monomer.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said monomer is an acrylic or vinyl monomer.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the droplets of the discontinuous phase in said emulsion have a droplet size of from 1 to 50 μm.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bore hole is a producer hole.
10. A well treatment chemical emulsion the discontinuous phase of which comprises 85 to 98% wt. of a saturated liquid hydrocarbon as a non-polymerizable, oil miscible liquid carrier, a polymerizable monomer and a thermally activated polymerization initiator, said monomer constituting from 2 to 40% wt. of said discontinuous phase.
11. An emulsion as claimed in claim 10 further containing a stabilizer.
12. An emulsion as claimed in claim 10 whereof said discontinuous phase constitutes 2 to 40% by volume.
13. A well treatment chemical emulsion as claimed in claim 10 as a hydrocarbon well treatment agent.