Date tree waste-based binary fibrous mix for moderate to severe loss control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336930-B2
Application number	US-201715626848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A date tree fiber mix lost circulation material (LCM) is provided. The date tree fiber mix LCM may include includes date tree trunk fibers produced from date tree trunks and date tree leaf and leaf stem fibers produced from date tree leaves and leaf stems. The LCM include a mix of 30% by weight date tree trunk fibers and 70% date tree leaf and leaf stem fibers, 40% by weight date tree trunk fibers and 60% date tree leaf and leaf stem fibers, 50% by weight date tree trunk fibers and 50% date tree leaf and leaf stem fibers. Methods of lost circulation control using and manufacture of a date tree fiber mix LCM are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to control lost circulation in a lost circulation zone in a wellbore, comprising:
introducing an altered drilling fluid into the wellbore such that the altered drilling fluid contacts the lost circulation zone and reduces a rate of lost circulation into the lost circulation zone, where the altered drilling fluid comprises a drilling fluid and a lost circulation material (LCM), wherein the LCM consists of:
a first plurality of fibers produced from date tree trunks, wherein each of the first plurality of fibers has a diameter in the range of 0.4 millimeters (mm) to about 0.8 mm; and
a second plurality of fibers produced from at least one of date tree leaves and date tree leaf stems, wherein each of the second plurality of fibers has a diameter in the range of 0.5 millimeters (mm) to about 1 mm;
wherein the first plurality of fibers comprise 30% by weight of the LCM and the second plurality of fibers comprise 70% by weight of the LCM.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altered drilling fluid consists of the drilling fluid and the LCM.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LCM comprises a concentration of at least 30 pounds-per-barrel (ppb) in the altered drilling fluid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of fibers comprise a first plurality of untreated fibers and the second plurality of fibers produced comprise a second plurality of untreated fibers.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Amanullah Md

Classifications

• C09K2208/04

  Hulls, shells or bark containing well drilling or treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K2208/08

  Fiber-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K8/516

  characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material · CPC title

• C09K8/514

  of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose (C09K8/512 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/138

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title