According to the present invention, a composition and method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation is provided. The composition comprises an aqueous mixture of a hydrated polysaccharide, preferably a galactomannan gum, the hydrated polysaccharide having a plurality of bonding sites; a crosslinking agent for crosslinking the hydrated polysaccharide at the bonding sites at the conditions of the subterranean formation with a polyvalent metal ion to form a polyvalent metal crosslink,...

An electrically biased electrode for preventing the formation of toner powder clouds and for cleaning unwanted background development from a member supporting an electrostatic image, the member moving in opposition to a flow of two-component developer material.

An oil recovery unit is provided for recovery of oil floating on the surface of the water in which the recovery unit has a plurality of float elements of decreasing diameter from top to bottom associated with one another to define a floating frame, oil collection means centrally positioned within the defined floating frame with the top surface of the collection chamber means being below the top surface of the float element, and oil drawoff means associated at one end with the oil collection cham...

Method and apparatus for removing oil from the surface of a body of water with a skimmer; the apparatus including a skimmer with baffled entry ports arranged on a plane inclined to the direction of current flow or about the periphery of a drum so that oil enters through the baffles into a chamber which is beneath an inverted funnel or within the axle of the drum; the method involving providing a skimmer having submerged baffle entry ports inclined to the direction of current flow, allowing the o...

An oil storage barge having a concave bottom is adapted to be anchored over a subsea well or pipeline that is leaking oil. Flexible skirts extend to the ocean floor, and oil that is trapped under the barge may be stored in the barge or then transferred to another vessel.

Skimmer for removing oil from the surface of a body of water which is articulated from front to rear to be wave comformable and/or has a quiescent collection zone formed by bottom and/or forward baffles. Flexible skimming head for use with or independently of the above skimmer composed of a foraminous sheet having an integral chevron flow pattern on its upper surface; floating skimming head for use similar to the preceding head with a central, axially vertically movable cone or other configurati...

A well cleanup and completion apparatus and technique. A packer is located downhole in a borehole, and a tool string comprising a one-way vent assembly and a one-way circulating valve assembly is connected above a perforating gun. The tool string is used to run the gun downhole through the packer until the gun arrives at a location adjacent to the formation to be perforated. During this time, the packer assembly must be in a configuration which admits flow from the lower to the upper annulus. Cl...

A kit of painting accessories enabling a user to clean paint rollers and brushes by spinning them with a hand drill, and to mix paint utilizing a hand drill. The kit includes an element for grasping paint brushes, a paint roller holder, a drive adapter enabling the aforementioned kit components to be mounted on a hand drill and rotatably driven thereby, and a paint mixer having a shaft insertable into the chuck of the hand drill. The paddle of the paint mixer can be adjusted between two position...

Skimmer for removing oil from the surface of a body of water which is articulated from front to rear to be wave conformable and/or has a quiescent collection zone formed by bottom and/or forward baffles. Flexible skimming head for use with or independently of the above skimmer composed of a foraminous sheet having an integral chevron flow pattern on its upper surface; floating skimming head for use similar to the preceeding head with a central, axially vertically movable cone or other configurat...

A planting implement is configured with a cleanup system for the removal of product associated with operation of the planting implement. The planting implement generally includes a fluid pressure source in combination with at least one planting unit configured to deposit the product at a controlled rate in an agricultural field. The cleanup system generally includes a product separator with an inlet line and a collection line. The inlet line communicates the vacuum pressure generated by the pres...