Abstract: A system for serving legal documents for initiating legal proceedings which includes a repository, the form of a database which is stored on a server (not shown), for receiving and storing legal documents for initiating legal proceedings, a notification means, in the form of a notifier, for notifying a recipient via an agreed digital address (not shown) of receipt by the database of a legal document, and a payment means (not shown) for allowing the recipient to access the legal document free of charge.

Abstract: A cylinder assembly for supporting a device above a surface, the device including a base, the cylinder assembly including a cylinder, mounted on the base, and extendable perpendicular to the base. The cylinder assembly further includes a foot at the end of the cylinder away from the base, and a locking mechanism for locking the cylinder in its fully extended position, the locking mechanism comprising a track attached to the base, and a track rod connected to and movable along the track, between a cylinder retraced position and a cylinder extended position. The locking mechanism also includes a brace pivotally attached at one end to the track rod, and pivotally attached at another end to the foot, and a fixing mechanism for fixing the track rod in the cylinder extended position.

Abstract: A method for using a defoaming formulation useful as an antifoaming agent, a foam controlling agent, or a defoaming agent. The method comprises adding the defoaming formulation that comprises one or more alkoxylate species to a system, wherein the one or more alkoxylate species is characterized as Acc-[(Ox)i]n, wherein Acc is an acceptor having a functionality of n ranging between 1 and about 100. (Ox)i are oxide blocks, each oxide block having a composition comprising from 1 to 150,000 units of oxide species selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide or combinations thereof and i ranges between 1 and about 10. The composition of adjacent oxide blocks is different and the average molecular weight of the one or more alkoxylate species is greater than about 2500 gmole?1. Some embodiments of the present inventions have mixtures of alkoxylate species having average molecular weights between about 5000 and about 3,000,000 gmole?1.

Abstract: Low dosage naphthenate inhibitors, such as a surfactant or hydrotrope, delivered into production fluids for contact with mixtures of oil and water, such as in a hydrocarbon producing formation, production equipment, or processing systems. Inhibitor compounds such as monophosphate esters and diphosphate esters exhibit surface-active properties that cause the inhibitors to self-associate at oil-water interfaces and inhibit interactions between organic acids in the oil with cations or cation complexes in the water. These compounds also inhibit aggregation of organic acid carboxylate salts that form when pH and pressure conditions are amenable to organic acid ionization. Preferred inhibitors do not form emulsions due to the formation of unstable mixed interface structures that result in coalescence of dispersed droplets.

Abstract: A method of improving hydrocarbon recovery from oil sands, oil shale, and petroleum residues includes adding a polymeric or nonpolymeric processing aid capable of sequestering cations, such as the multivalent calcium, magnesium and iron cations. The hydrocarbons are preferably contacted with the processing aid before a primary separation of the hydrocarbons in order to increase bitumen recovery. A processing aid is provided in an effective amount to increase the liberation of the hydrocarbons from inorganic solids, particularly when the source is a poor processing ore. Preferred processing aids include citric acid or a polymeric acid selected from polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, salts of these acids, partial salts of these acids, and combinations thereof. The processing aids significantly increase the hydrocarbon recovery typically with concentrations less than 50 ppm and the polymeric processing aids can also provide beneficial flocculation of solids in tailings slurry.