Patent ID: 8357639

Claim:
A method comprising: introducing a thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion into a wellbore where the nanoemulsion comprises: (1) a non-polar based continuous phase, (2) a polar based discontinuous phase with a mean droplet size of less than 1000 nm, and (3) a surfactant; and a further procedure selected from the group consisting of: drilling a wellbore using a fluid comprising the thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion; completing a well using a fluid comprising the thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion; remediating a subterranean formation, other than by acidizing, using a fluid comprising the thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion; acidizing a subterranean formation using a fluid comprising the thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion; fracturing a subterranean formation using a fluid comprising the thermodynamically unstable nanoemulsion; and combinations thereof.