Method of conversion of a drilling mud to a gel-based lost circulation material to combat lost circulation during continuous drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344545-B2
Application number	US-201715606521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2013
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A method of conversion of a water-based mud to a gel-based LCM quickly to control lost circulation in a lost circulation zone in a wellbore during continuous drilling with a drilling mud, the drilling mud comprises a volcanic ash, water, a de-foamer, a pH buffer, and a polymer. The method comprises the steps of entering the lost circulation zone, determining a lost circulation volumetric flow rate, metering a first amount of a binder into the drilling mud to create a binder containing mud, pumping the binder containing drilling mud into the wellbore, and suspending metering of the first amount of the binder to the drilling mud after a pre-defined regulating period of time effective to permit the binder containing drilling mud to create a gel-based LCM operable to alter the lost circulation zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gel-based lost circulation material (LCM) composition, the gel-based LCM composition comprising:
a volcanic ash;
water;
a viscosifier;
a fluid loss control additive;
a pH buffer, wherein the pH buffer is operable to adjust a pH of the gel-based LCM;
a de-foamer, wherein the de-foamer is operable to reduce the creation of foam; and
a binder, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of drilling grade cements of Class A, Class B, Class C, Class G, Class H or combinations thereof, wherein the binder is operable to achieve the target gel characteristic of the gel-based LCM, wherein a weight ratio of the volcanic ash to the binder is 1:1.5 to 1:3.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pH buffer is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and lime.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the viscosifier is XC polymer.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fluid loss control additive is psyllium husk powder.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Amanullah Md
• Alsubaie Turki Thuwaini Mohammed
• Bubshait Abdulaziz Salah
• Al-Fuwaires Omar Abdulwahab

Classifications

• C09K8/04 Primary

  Aqueous well-drilling compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/508

  macromolecular compounds {(C09K8/512 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C04B2103/0028

  according to API · CPC title

• C09K8/487

  Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss · CPC title

• E21B21/003 Primary

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