Organo-clay free invert emulsion fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041300-B2
Application number	US-201415311475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A method of drilling a subterranean formation includes providing an invert emulsion fluid comprising an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations wherein one is divalent and another is trivalent; and drilling the subterranean formation with the drilling fluid. Invert emulsion drilling fluids include an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; sodium bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of drilling in a subterranean formation comprising:
providing or using a clay-free invert emulsion drilling fluid consisting essentially of:
an oleaginous continuous phase comprising at least one base oil;
a nonoleaginous discontinuous phase;
mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations, wherein one of the at least two metal cations is a divalent cation and another of the at least two metal cations is a trivalent cation; and
bentonite, wherein the drilling fluid is substantially free of organophilic clays, and wherein a percent increase in the yield point (YP) for the invert emulsion drilling fluid with bentonite and the mixed metal layered hydroxides as compared to the same fluid without the bentonite or without the mixed metal layered hydroxides, is greater than 150%; and

drilling the subterranean formation with the drilling fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one base oil is selected from the group of oils consisting of synthetic oils comprising an ester or olefin; diesel oils; mineral oils selected from the group consisting of n-paraffins, isoparaffins, cyclic alkanes, branched alkanes, and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the divalent cation is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn, and wherein the trivalent cation is selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Cr and Fe.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixed metal layered hydroxides are present in the amount of about 2 pounds per barrel (ppb) to about 20 pounds per barrel (ppb).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bentonite is present in the amount of about 1 pound per barrel (ppb) to about 15 pounds per barrel (ppb).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the percent increase in YP is greater than about 200%.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a percent increase in the low shear yield point (LSYP) for the invert emulsion drilling fluid with bentonite and the mixed metal layered hydroxides as compared to the same fluid without the bentonite or without the mixed metal layered hydroxides, is greater than 200%.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the percent increase in LSYP is greater than about 300%.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid includes at least one additive from the group consisting of weighting agents, inert solids, fluid loss control agents, emulsifiers, salts, dispersion aids, corrosion inhibitors, emulsion thinners, emulsion thickeners, viscosifiers, high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) emulsifier filtration control agents, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bentonite is an externally added sodium bentonite from the formation.

11. A clay-free invert emulsion drilling fluid for drilling in a subterranean formation, the drilling fluid consisting essentially of:
an oleaginous continuous phase comprising at least one base oil;
a nonoleaginous discontinuous phase;
mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations, wherein one of the at least two metal cations is a divalent cation and another of the at least two metal cations is a trivalent cation; and
bentonite, wherein the drilling fluid is substantially free of organophilic clays,
wherein a percent increase in the yield point (YP) for the invert emulsion drilling fluid with bentonite and the mixed metal layered hydroxides as compared to the same fluid without the bentonite or without the mixed metal layered hydroxides, is greater than 150%.

12. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the at least one base oil is selected from the group of oils selected from the group consisting of synthetic oils comprising an ester or olefin; diesel oils; mineral oils selected from the group consisting of n-paraffins, isoparaffins, cyclic alkanes, branched alkanes, and mixtures thereof.

13. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the divalent cation is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn, and wherein the trivalent cation is selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Cr and Fe.

14. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the mixed metal layered hydroxides are present in the amount of about 2 pounds per barrel (ppb) to about 20 pounds per barrel (ppb).

15. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the bentonite is present in the amount of about 1 pound per barrel (ppb) to about 15 pounds per barrel (ppb).

16. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the percent increase in YP is greater than about 200%.

17. The drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein a percent increase in the low shear yield point (LSYP) for the invert emulsion drilling fluid with bentonite and the mixed metal layered hydroxides as compared to the same fluid without the bentonite or without the mixed metal layered hydroxides, is greater than 200%.

18. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the percent increase in LSYP is greater than about 300%.

19. A method of drilling in a subterranean formation comprising:
providing or using a clay-free invert emulsion drilling fluid consisting essentially of:
an oleaginous continuous phase comprising at least one base oil;
an internal phase comprising water;
sodium bentonite; and
mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising aluminum and magnesium, wherein the drilling fluid is substantially free of organophilic clays,
wherein a percent increase in the yield point (YP) for the invert emulsion drilling fluid with bentonite and the mixed metal layered hydroxides as compared to the same fluid without the bentonite or without the mixed metal layered hydroxides, is great than 150%, and

drilling the subterranean formation in the presence of the drilling fluid.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Maghrabi Shadaab Syed
• Wagle Vikrant Bhavanishankar
• Kulkarni Dhanashree Gajanan

Classifications

• C09K2208/32

  Anticorrosion additives · CPC title

• E21B7/00 Primary

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• C09K8/36 Primary

  Water-in-oil emulsions · CPC title

• E21B21/00

  Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor (freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03) · CPC title

• E21B21/003

  Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138) · CPC title