High strength, operationally robust lost circulation preventative pseudo-crosslinked material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138165-B2
Application number	US-201715472386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A formulation for use as a lost circulation preventive material is a cement-forming aqueous fluid comprising water, at least one viscoelastic surfactant (VES), at least one monovalent or multivalent salt, at least one magnesium powder, and at least one retarder. The formulation is used in a method of drilling into a subterranean formation that includes introducing into a wellbore passing at least partially through the subterranean formation the cement-forming aqueous fluid, and further increasing the viscosity of the aqueous fluid by the action of the VES forming elongated micelles; where the at least one monovalent salt is present in an amount effective to pseudo-crosslink the elongated VES micelles to further increase the viscosity of the aqueous fluid. The formulation further forms a cement by reacting the at least one magnesium powder and the water which reaction is retarded by the retarder. The water may be saline water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of drilling into a subterranean formation comprising:
introducing into a wellbore passing at least partially through the subterranean formation a cement-forming aqueous fluid comprising:
water;
at least one viscoelastic surfactant (VES);
at least one monovalent or multivalent salt;
at least one magnesium powder comprising 30-80 wt % MgO and greater than 20 wt % dolomite, which magnesium powder works as cement; and
at least one retarder;

increasing the viscosity of the cement-forming aqueous fluid by the at least one VES forming elongated VES micelles; where the at least one monovalent salt or multivalent salt is present in an amount effective to pseudo-crosslink the elongated VES micelles to further increase the viscosity of the aqueous fluid;
forming a cement by reacting at least one magnesium powder and the water, where forming the cement is retarded from that which would otherwise occur but for the presence of the retarder; and
thereby inhibiting fluid loss of the fluid into the formation.

2. The method of claim 1 where the forming the cement is triggered by a temperature of above 70° F. (21° C.).

3. The method of claim 1 where the at least one VES is present in the cement-forming aqueous fluid in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the water.

4. The method of claim 1 where the at least one VES is present in the cement-forming aqueous fluid in an amount from about 0.01 gps to 2 gps.

5. The method of claim 1 where the at least one monovalent or multivalent salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium formate, potassium formate, calcium chloride, calcium bromide, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, aluminum chloride, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 where the amount of the at least one monovalent or multivalent salt is present in the water in an amount from about 0.05 gps to above saturation.

7. The method of claim 1 where the at least one retarder is selected from the group consisting of sodium borate, boric acid, disodium tetraborate decahydrate, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 where the at least one retarder is present in the aqueous fluid in an amount from about 0.01 to about 20% bwoc.

9. The method of claim 1 where the cement-forming aqueous fluid additionally comprises a defoamer.

10. The method of claim 9 where the defoamer is a silicon-based defoamer and where the amount of defoamer ranges from 0.001 to 0.1 gallons per sack of cement.

11. A method of drilling into a subterranean formation comprising:
introducing into a wellbore passing at least partially through the subterranean formation a cement-forming aqueous fluid comprising:
water;
at least one viscoelastic surfactant (VES);
at least one monovalent or multivalent salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium formate, potassium formate, calcium chloride, calcium bromide, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, aluminum chloride, and combinations thereof;
at least one magnesium powder comprising 30-80 wt % MgO and greater than 20 wt % dolomite, which magnesium powder works as cement; and
at least one retarder;

increasing the viscosity of the cement-forming aqueous fluid by the at least one VES forming elongated VES micelles; where the at least one monovalent salt or multivalent salt is present in an amount effective to pseudo-crosslink the elongated VES micelles to further increase the viscosity of the aqueous fluid;
forming a cement by reacting at least one magnesium powder and the water triggered by a temperature of above 70° F. (21° C.), where forming the cement is retarded from that which would otherwise occur but for the presence of the retarder; and
thereby inhibiting fluid loss of the fluid into the formation.

12. The method of claim 11 where the at least one VES is present in the cement-forming aqueous fluid in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the water.

13. The method of claim 11 where the at least one VES is present in the cement-forming aqueous fluid in an amount from about 0.01 gps to 2 gps.

14. The method of claim 11 where the amount of the at least one monovalent or multivalent salt is present in the water in an amount from about 0.05 gps to above saturation.

15. The method of claim 11 where the at least one retarder is selected from the group consisting of sodium borate, boric acid, disodium tetraborate decahydrate, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 where the at least one retarder is present in the aqueous fluid in an amount from about 0.01 to about 20% bwoc.

17. The method of claim 11 where the cement-forming aqueous fluid additionally comprises a defoamer.

18. The method of claim 17 where the defoamer is a silicon-based defoamer and where the amount of defoamer ranges from 0.001 to 0.1 gallons per sack of cement.

19. A method of drilling into a subterranean formation comprising:
introducing into a wellbore passing at least partially through the subterranean formation a cement-forming aqueous fluid comprising:
water;
at least one viscoelastic surfactant (VES) present in the cement-forming aqueous fluid in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the water;
at least one monovalent or multivalent salt present in the water in an amount from about 0.05 gps to above saturation;
at least one magnesium powder comprising 30-80 wt % MgO and greater than 20 wt % dolomite, which magnesium powder works as cement; and
at least one retarder present in the aqueous fluid in an amount from about 0.01 to about 20% bwoc;

increasing the viscosity of the cement-forming aqueous fluid by the at least one VES forming elongated VES micelles; where the at least one monovalent salt or multivalent salt is present in an amount effective to pseudo-crosslink the elongated VES micelles to further increase the viscosity of the aqueous fluid;
forming a cement by reacting at least one magnesium powder and the water, where forming the cement is retarded from that which would otherwise occur but for the presence of the retarder; and
thereby inhibiting fluid loss of the fluid into the formation.

20. The method of claim 19 where the forming the cement is triggered by a temperature of above 70° F. (21° C.).

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Sarmah Pranjal
• Yadav Prahlad Kumar
• Agrawal Gaurav
• Huang Tianping

Classifications

• C04B2103/40

  Surface-active agents, dispersants · CPC title

• C04B22/142

  Sulfates · CPC title

• E21B21/003

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

• C04B22/0026

  Salt water, e.g. seawater · CPC title

• C04B2103/50

  Defoamers, air detrainers · CPC title