Foam inhibiting method and composition for oil wells

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF OPERATING A PUMPING OIL WELL IN WHICH THE OIL TENDS TO FOAM WITHIN THE WELL AND WHEREIN OIL IS PRODUCED BY A PUMP NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL UP THROUGH A PRODUCING STRING OF TUBING, GAS IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE ANNULUS OF THE WELL OUTSIDE OF THE PRODUCING STRING, AND A NEGATIVELY-CHARGED FOAM TENDS TO ACCMULATE IN THE ANNULUS, THEREBY GENERATING A BACK PRESSURE ON THE PRODUCING ZONES AND TENDING TO REDUCE THE EFFICIENCY OF SAID PUMP, THE IMPROVEMENT OF INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SAID OIL WELL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUING SAID REMOVAL OF GAS FROM THE ANNULUS OF THE OIL WELL TO CAUSE THE COLUMNS OF SAID FOAM IN THE ANNULUS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY DEPRESSED, THEN POSITIONING IN SAID ANNULUS NEAR BUT SPACED ABOVE THE TOP OF THE DEPRESSED COLUMN OF FOAM STANDING IN THE ANNULUS OF THE WELL A SOLID FOAM-INHIBITING COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 50-80% WAX HAVING A MELTING POINT ABOVE 150*F. AND THE REMAINDER CONSISTING OF AT LEAST 10% EACH OF DIMETHYL SILICON POLYMER HAVING A VISCOSITY OF 500 TO 100,000 CENTISTOKES AND PREFERENTIALLY OIL-SOLUBLE AMINE SURFACTANT, SAID SOLID INHIBITING COMPOSITION HAVING A MELTING POINT OF FROM 5 TO 25* ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WELL AT THE POINT THEREIN IN WHICH THE SAID COMPOSITION IS PLACED, THEREAFTER RE-ESTABLISING THE WITHDRAWAL OF GAS FROM THE ANNULUS OF THE WELL AND MAINTAINING WITHIN SAID ANNULUS A SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF SAID SOLID FAOM-INHIBITING COMPOSITION OT KEEP THE COLUMN OF FOAM DEPRESSED BELOW THE POINT AT WHICH SAID FOAMINHIBITING COMPOSITION IS PLACED IN SAID ANNULUS.