[QUOTE=BLISTERS;39940]Hence I’d expect to see heat during flow, followed by a drop in temperature during shut -in (stop flow) and then gradually a relatively slow build in temperature as heat from lower sections of the fluid column slowly, via thermal conduction (not flow), makes its way to the now relatively cooler wellhead, which over time will begin to get hotter than it was at shut-in. Aslo, as pressure at the WH slowly builds so will temperature.[/QUOTE]
Great expectations but not much reality. Even if the bore was of a diameter adequate to support convection currents from the reservoir the temperature at the mudline will be very close to that of the surrounding seawater. The idea that it would actually be hotter than while flowing is just fantasy. And that is assuming the bore is filled with liquid. Since there is considerable gas in the reservoir, the bore is probably now gas filled for the top portion and conduction of heat through gas is very much less than oil.