Lost circulation materials comprising red mud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10633940-B2
Application number	US-201515540555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method for reducing lost circulation in a subterranean formation. The method includes providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and a lost circulation material comprising red mud. The treatment fluid is introduced into a wellbore within the subterranean formation such that at least a portion of the red mud bridges openings in the subterranean formation to reduce loss of fluid circulation into the subterranean formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing lost circulation in a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and a lost circulation material comprising red mud, wherein the red mud is derived from bauxite ore refining in the presence of sodium hydroxide, wherein 10% of the red mud comprises particle diameters less than 2.5 μm, wherein 10% of the red mud comprises particle diameters greater than 333 μm; and
introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore within the subterranean formation such that at least a portion of the red mud bridges openings in the subterranean formation to reduce loss of fluid circulation into the subterranean formation;
wherein the treatment fluid is a cement composition or a spacer fluid, wherein the cement composition or the spacer fluid is disposed within a lost circulation zone.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the red mud comprises at least 20% calcite, at least 25% quartz, and hematite.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the red mud has a median particle size between about 20 μm and about 100 μm and comprises hauyne.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the red mud comprises gibbsite and perovskite.

5. A system for bridging a lost circulation zone comprising:
a treatment fluid comprising red mud and a base fluid wherein the red mud is derived from bauxite ore refining in the presence of sodium hydroxide, wherein 10% of the red mud comprises particle diameters less than 2.5 μm, wherein 10% of the red mud comprises particle diameters greater than 333 μm;
a fluid handling system comprising the treatment fluid; and
a conduit at least partially disposed within the wellbore and fluidly coupled to the fluid handling system;
wherein the treatment fluid is a cement composition or a spacer fluid, wherein the cement composition or the spacer fluid is disposed within a lost circulation zone.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Pisklak Thomas Jason
• Agapiou Kyriacos
• Brenneis Darrell Chad
• Benkley James Robert
• Chatterji Jiten

Classifications

• C09K8/501

  using spacer compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/502

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• E21B21/003 Primary

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

• C09K8/02

  Well-drilling compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/032 Primary

  Inorganic additives · CPC title