Patent ID: 8356667

Claim:
A method of conducting an operation in a location selected from the group consisting of a wellbore, a subterranean formation, a reservoir, hydrocarbon production facilities, geothermal wells, and combinations thereof, the method comprising introducing a liquid crystal-containing fluid into the location, where the fluid comprises liquid crystals selected from the group consisting of: pre-formed liquid crystals which comprise: a component selected from the group consisting of an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase, and a liquid crystal-forming component selected from the group consisting of at least one surfactant, at least one polymer, at least one copolymer, nanotubes, and mixtures thereof; and in situ liquid crystal-forming components comprising: a component selected from the group consisting of an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase, and a liquid crystal-forming component selected from the group consisting of at least one surfactant, at least one polymer, at least one copolymer, nanotubes, and mixtures thereof, the method further comprising forming liquid crystals in situ adjacent the location; where the aqueous phase and non-aqueous phase may already be present in the location and the method further comprises introducing the in situ liquid crystal-forming components into the location.