Magnetic deposition prevention subassembly and method of use

1. An apparatus for magnetically treating fluids flowing through a conduit to inhibit the formation and/or deposition of solid phase deposits within the conduit, the apparatus comprising:

a tubular box member configured to be interconnected with a first conduit in an axial manner, the tubular box member comprising:

a first tubular box portion with a first tubular box outer diameter;

a second tubular box portion with a second tubular box outer diameter; and

a third tubular box portion with a third tubular box outer diameter, wherein the second tubular box portion is disposed between the first tubular box portion and the third tubular box portion;

a tubular pin member comprising:

a first tubular pin portion with a first tubular pin portion outer diameter and a first tubular pin portion inner diameter; and

a second tubular pin portion with a second tubular pin portion inner diameter;

wherein the first tubular pin portion is configured to be interconnected with the third tubular box portion in an axial manner, and wherein the second tubular pin portion is configured to be interconnected with a second conduit in an axial manner, and wherein the second conduit is located below the first conduit in the subterranean well bore;

a cylindrical magnet having a North magnetic pole, a South magnetic pole, a magnet outer diameter, and a magnet inner diameter and disposed around at least part of the second tubular box portion; and

wherein the first tubular box portion outer diameter is greater than the cylindrical magnet outer diameter; the second tubular box portion outer diameter is equal to or smaller than the cylindrical magnet inner diameter; the third tubular box portion outer diameter is smaller than the first tubular pin portion inner diameter; the first tubular pin portion outer diameter is greater than the magnet outer diameter; and the first tubular pin inner portion diameter is smaller than the third tubular box portion outer diameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an elastomeric O-ring disposed between the third tubular box portion and the first tubular pin portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical magnet is oriented such that the North Pole of the magnet is oriented towards the first tubular box portion and the South pole of the magnet is oriented towards the first tubular pin portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical magnet is a rare earth magnet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical magnet is loosely disposed about the at least part of the second tubular box portion.

6. A system for reducing buildup in a hydrocarbon flow path located in a subterranean well, comprising:

a plurality of magnetic subs disposed between hydrocarbon conduits at regular intervals in a subterranean well bore, wherein each of the magnetic subs comprises:

a tubular box member configured to be interconnected with a first conduit in an axial manner, the tubular box member comprising:

a first tubular box portion with a first tubular box outer diameter;

a second tubular box portion with a second tubular box outer diameter; and

a third tubular box portion with a third tubular box outer diameter, wherein the second tubular box portion is disposed between the first tubular box portion and the third tubular box portion;

a tubular pin member comprising:

a first tubular pin portion with a first tubular pin portion outer diameter and a first tubular pin portion inner diameter; and

a second tubular pin portion with a second tubular pin portion inner diameter;

wherein the first tubular pin portion is configured to be interconnected with the third tubular box portion in an axial manner, and wherein the second tubular pin portion is configured to be interconnected with a second conduit in an axial manner, and wherein the second conduit is located below the first conduit in the subterranean well bore;

a cylindrical magnet having a North magnetic pole, a South magnetic pole, a magnet outer diameter, and a magnet inner diameter and disposed around at least part of the second tubular box portion; and

wherein the first tubular box portion outer diameter is greater than the cylindrical magnet outer diameter; the second tubular box portion outer diameter is equal to or smaller than the cylindrical magnet inner diameter; the third tubular box portion outer diameter is smaller than the first tubular pin portion inner diameter; the first tubular pin portion outer diameter is greater than the magnet outer diameter; and the first tubular pin inner portion diameter is smaller than the third tubular box portion outer diameter.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the magnet is loosely disposed about the outside surface.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the magnet comprises a rare earth magnet.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the rare earth magnet is a samarium cobalt magnet.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:

a shield disposed about the outer surface of at least one of the magnets and adapted to protect the at least one of the magnets while it is located in the subterranean well, the shield having an outer diameter.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the shield has an outer diameter that is equal to or less than the larger of the diameters of the tubular box member and the tubular pin member.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the regular intervals have a size of 250 feet or less.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the regular intervals have a size of 165 feet or less.

14. The system of claim 6 , wherein all of the hydrocarbon conduits are uniform in outer and inner diameter.

15. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the hydrocarbon conduits connected to one side of one of the magnetic subs has a different tubular dimension than at least one other of the plurality of tubulars connected to another side of the one of the magnetic subs.

16. A process for removing or inhibiting the formation of solid phase deposits from hydrocarbons, the process comprising:

connecting an apparatus according to claim 1 to an end of a first conduit, running the first conduit and associated system in a subterranean well;

connecting and running additional conduits and apparatuses so as to have at least a plurality of apparatuses longitudinally spaced apart from one another in the wellbore; and

flowing a hydrocarbon-bearing fluid through the apparatuses, whereby solid phase deposits are removed or inhibited by the apparatuses.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the solid phase deposits removed or inhibited are scale deposits, paraffin deposits, hydrate deposits, asphaltene deposits, or combinations thereof.

18. An oil or gas production process, comprising:

establishing a hydrocarbon flow path in a subterranean well, the flow path comprising an inner surface and an outer surface and adapted to flow a hydrocarbon-bearing fluid from a distal end to a proximal end;

providing a substantially cylindrical permanent magnet adjacent the outside surface such that a North magnetic pole is adjacent the distal end and a South magnetic pole is adjacent the proximal end, the magnet having an outer surface and first and second axially spaced ends;

limiting movement of a top box and bottom pin combination configured to threadingly engage one another, wherein the magnet is disposed around a portion of the top box, and the bottom pin comprises a shelf stop to limit the threading engagement between the top box and the bottom pin before the magnet is longitudinally compressed by the top box and bottom pin; and

providing a first conduit portion located adjacent the first axially spaced end of the magnet;

providing a second conduit portion adjacent the second axially spaced end of the magnet; and

resulting in an outer diameter of the first and second conduit portions that is equal to or greater than the outer diameter of a shield axially surrounding the magnet.