Oil-based drilling fluids for high pressure and high temperature drilling operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640696-B2
Application number	US-201816055867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2018
Priority date	Aug 15, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

Oil-based drilling fluid compositions comprising an oil phase comprising a base oil, an aqueous phase comprising water, at least one emulsifier, and one or more additives. The at least one emulsifier comprises an amino amide comprising the formula R—CO—NH—R′—NH—R″—NH2, where R is a fatty acid alkyl and R′ and R″ are alkyl groups. The one or more additives are chosen from a wetting agent, a rheology modifier, a fluid-loss control additive, and a weighting additive. Methods of making the oil-based drilling fluid compositions and methods of drilling a subterranean well utilizing the oil-based drilling fluid compositions are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil-based drilling fluid composition comprising:
an oil phase comprising a base oil;
an aqueous phase comprising water;
at least one emulsifier, in which the at least one emulsifier comprises an amino amide comprising the formula R—CO—NH—R′—NH—R″—NH 2 , where R is a fatty acid alkyl and R′ and R″ are alkyl groups; and
one or more additives chosen from a wetting agent, a rheology modifier a fluid-loss control additive, and a weighting additive.

2. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where R is selected from C 15 H 31 , C 17 H 35 , C 21 H 43 or C 8 H 17 CHCHC 7 H 14 .

3. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where R′ is selected from C 2 H 4 , C 6 H 12 or C 10 H 20 .

4. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where R″ is selected from C 2 H 4 , C 6 H 12 or C 10 H 20 .

5. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where R is C 17 H 35 , R′ is C 2 H 4 , and R′ is C 2 H 4 .

6. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where the oil-based drilling fluid comprises from 0.05% by weight to 5.0% by weight emulsifier, based on the total weight of the oil-based drilling fluids.

7. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where the oil-based drilling fluid comprises from 0.1% by weight to 2.0% by weight rheology modifier, based on the total weight of the oil-based drilling fluids; where the rheology modifier comprises one or more of an organophilic clay, a hectorite clay, a dimeric fatty acid, a trimeric fatty acids, a polyamine, a sepiolite, and an attapulgite.

8. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where the oil-based drilling fluid comprises from 64% by weight to 85.3% by weight weighting additive, based on the total weight of the oil-based drilling fluids; where the weight additive comprises one or more of barite, calcite, aragonite, iron carbonate, zinc carbonate, manganese tetroxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, hematite, ilmenite, and lead carbonate.

9. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where the viscosity at a shear rate of 10.22 s −1 measured at 50° C. is greater than 400 cP.

10. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 1 , where the viscosity at a shear rate of 170 s −1 measured at 50° C. is less than 125 cP.

11. A method for making an oil-based drilling fluid composition comprising:
mixing a base oil, at least one emulsifier, at least one emulsifier, and optionally at least one wetting agent to form a first mixture, in which the at least one emulsifier comprises an amino amide comprising the formula R—CO—NH—R′—NH—R″—NH 2 , where R is a fatty acid alkyl and R′ and R″ are alkyl groups;
optionally, mixing at least one rheology modifier, and alkalinity adjuster into the first mixture to form a second mixture;
optionally, mixing at least one fluid-loss control additive into the second mixture to form a third mixture;
mixing a brine solution into the first mixture or the third mixture to form a fourth mixture; and
mixing a weighting additive into the fourth mixture to form the oil-based drilling fluid composition.

12. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 11 , where R is selected from C 15 H 31 , C 17 H 35 , C 21 H 43 or C 8 H 17 CHCHC 7 H 14 , R′ is selected from C 2 H 4 , C 6 H 12 or C 10 H 20 , and R″ is selected from C 2 H 4 , C 6 H 12 or C 10 H 20 .

13. The oil-based drilling fluid composition according to claim 11 , where R is C 17 H 35 , R′ is C 2 H 4 , and R′ is C 2 H 4 .

14. The method according to claim 11 , where the oil-based drilling fluid composition comprises from 0.05% by weight to 5.0% by weight emulsifier, based on the total weight of the oil-based drilling fluid composition.

15. The method according to claim 11 , where the viscosity of the oil-based drilling fluid composition at a shear rate of 10.22 s −1 measured at 50° C. is greater than 400 cP.

16. The method according to claim 11 , where the viscosity of the oil-based drilling fluid composition at a shear rate of 170 s −1 measured at 50° C. is less than 125 cP.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co
• Univ Durham
• M I Drilling Fluids Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Mohammed Musarrat Halima
• Al Batal Mona
• Greenwell Hugh Christopher
• Whiting Andrew
• Hall John Adrian
• Alabedi Gasan Selman
• Hodder Michael Hayward

Classifications

• C09K8/36 Primary

  Water-in-oil emulsions · CPC title

• C09K8/34

  Organic liquids · CPC title

• E21B21/003

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

• C09K8/035

  Organic additives · CPC title