Streamer filler material and process

Abstract

This disclosure presents a streamer filler material that is a low density gel formed from a two-part, mix-curable polymer, and methods of making streamers using such materials. One embodiment of the filler material features a two-part silicone gel mixed with a paraffinic oil. The two-part silicone gel can make up 15% to 25%, by weight or volume, of the mixture. Methods of making such materials include forming a first unreactive mixture having a first reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and a second unreactive mixture having a second reactant, promoter, and/or catalyst and mixing the first and second mixtures in a paraffinic oil system to make a gel. The streamer can be loaded with the filler by pumping or extruding the mixture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A streamer filler material, comprising:
 a two-part silicone gel; and   a paraffinic oil.   
     
     
         2 . The streamer filler material of  claim 1 , wherein the two-part silicone gel is made by mixing an A component comprising a crosslinker and a B component comprising a catalyst. 
     
     
         3 . The streamer filler material of  claim 2 , wherein the catalyst comprises a platinum catalyst. 
     
     
         4 . The streamer filler material of  claim 1 , wherein the streamer filler material comprises 15-25%, by weight or volume, of the two-part silicone gel. 
     
     
         5 . The streamer filler material of  claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the A component to the B component is greater than 1:1. 
     
     
         6 . The streamer filler material of  claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the A component to the B component is between 1.5:1 and 2:1. 
     
     
         7 . The streamer filler material of  claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst. 
     
     
         8 . The streamer filler material of  claim 1 , further comprising an inhibitor. 
     
     
         9 . A geophysical streamer filled with the streamer filler material of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 mixing a first amount of a two-part silicone gel with a second amount of a paraffinic oil, wherein the first amount and the second amount are unequal; and   curing the mixture to yield a gel.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method includes inserting the gel into a streamer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein curing the mixture to yield a gel includes extruding the mixture into a streamer casing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein mixing the two-part silicone gel with the paraffinic oil comprises adding the two-part silicone gel to the paraffinic oil in a vessel to form a reaction mixture, cooling the reaction mixture, and pumping the reaction mixture into a streamer casing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein curing the mixture comprises applying heat to the mixture in the streamer casing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein extruding the mixture into the streamer casing includes extruding the mixture through a plenum at a face of the extruder and feeding functional components of the streamer through the plenum into the streamer casing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the silicone gel is made by mixing an A component with a B component to form a polymerization mixture and reacting the polymerization mixture to form the silicone gel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a ratio of the A component to the B component is greater than 1:1. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 forming a first unreactive mixture comprising a first reaction component of a two-part polymerization reaction;   forming a second unreactive mixture comprising a second reaction component of the two-part polymerization reaction;   adding the first unreactive mixture to a paraffin oil system;   adding the second unreactive mixture to the paraffin oil system to form a reaction mixture;   curing the reaction mixture to form a gel; and   adding the gel to a geophysical streamer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adding the gel to the geophysical streamer includes heating the gel and pumping the gel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adding the gel to the geophysical streamer includes extruding the gel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first unreactive mixture comprises an A component of a two-part silicone material, the second unreactive mixture comprises a B component of the two-part silicon material, and a ratio of the A component to the B component is greater than 1:1.