Barrier pills

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428258-B2
Application number	US-201515538086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for wellbore pressure control with separated fluid columns. One embodiment is a composition comprising: a base fluid, a hectorite clay, a secondary clay comprising at least one clay selected from the group consisting of an attapulgite clay, a sepiolite clay, a palygorskite clay, and any combination thereof, and a plurality of fibers. Another embodiment is a method comprising: introducing a first fluid into a wellbore; introducing a barrier pill into the wellbore, wherein the barrier pill comprises: a base fluid, a hectorite clay, and a plurality of fibers; and introducing a second fluid into the wellbore. Another embodiment is a method comprising: introducing a first fluid into a wellbore; introducing a barrier pill into the wellbore, wherein the barrier pill comprises: a base fluid, a hectorite clay, and a secondary clay comprising at least one clay selected from the group consisting of an attapulgite clay, a sepiolite clay, a palygorskite clay, and any combination thereof; and introducing a second fluid into the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
introducing a first fluid into a wellbore;
introducing a clay-based barrier pill into the wellbore, wherein the barrier pill comprises:
a strong base selected from the group consisting of a hydroxide base, quick lime, and any combination thereof,
a naturally occurring hectorite clay, and
a naturally occurring secondary clay comprising at least one clay selected from the group consisting of an attapulgite clay, a sepiolite clay, a palygorskite clay, and any combination thereof, wherein the barrier pill has a clay concentration between about 8 and about 20 pounds per barrel, and wherein a gel strength of the barrier pill is substantially maintained or increased, or decreases less than a gel strength of the barrier pill without the secondary clay, when the barrier pill is exposed to one or more salts; and

introducing a second fluid into the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the barrier pill separates the first fluid and the second fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the barrier pill further comprises a weighting agent.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hectorite clay and the secondary clay are present in amounts having a ratio between a 1:1 and 2:1.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the barrier pill further comprises a plurality of fibers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the barrier pill is introduced into the wellbore using at least one pump.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the barrier pill has a hectorite clay concentration between about 4 and about 10 pounds per barrel and a secondary clay concentration between about 4 and about 8 pounds per barrel.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Galindo Kay Ann
• Kulkarni Sandeep
• Miller Matthew Lynn
• Jamison Dale E
• Ramirez Angulo Jessica Paola
• Shumway William Walter

Classifications

• C09K8/14 Primary

  Clay-containing compositions (containing inorganic compounds C09K8/05) · CPC title

• C09K2208/08

  Fiber-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K8/24

  Polymers · CPC title

• C09K8/145 Primary

  characterised by the composition of the clay · CPC title

• C09K8/16

  characterised by the inorganic compounds other than clay · CPC title