Drilling fluid additives for high-density reservoir drilling fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371604-B1
Application number	US-202418629410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2024
Priority date	Apr 8, 2024
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Drilling fluids for drilling a wellbore. An example drilling fluid includes an aqueous base fluid, a first fluid loss control additive that comprises a cross-linked polymer comprising N-vinylpyrrolidone as a monomer, and a second fluid loss control additive that comprises a cloud point glycol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
providing a drilling fluid comprising:
an aqueous base fluid;
a first fluid loss control additive that comprises a cross-linked polymer comprising N-vinylpyrrolidone as a monomer; and
a second fluid loss control additive that comprises a cloud point glycol;

drilling a wellbore through at least a portion of a subterranean formation with the drilling fluid, whereby a filter cake is formed; and
introducing a brine into the wellbore after the drilling fluid is introduced into the wellbore, wherein the brine comprises zinc,
wherein the drilling fluid comprises the second fluid loss control additive in a concentration of about 0.1% to about 10% w/v of the drilling fluid, such that the filter cake formed during the drilling exhibits enhanced filtration control capability in the presence of the subsequently introduced zinc-containing brine than a filter cake produced during drilling with an otherwise identical drilling fluid absent the second fluid loss control additive.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zinc-containing brine is a screen running fluid or a gravel packing fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zinc-containing brine has a density of about 14 lb/gal to about 20 lb/gal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subterranean formation comprises a reservoir comprising a hydrocarbon; wherein the wellbore is drilled through at least a portion of the reservoir; and wherein the drilling fluid is circulated in the wellbore during the drilling of the reservoir.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid loss control additive comprises a crosslinker selected from the group consisting of divinyl ether, diallyl ether, vinyl or allyl ethers of polyglycols or polyols, divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylimidazolidin-2-one, divinyltetrahydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one, dienes, triallyl amine, triallyl alkylammonium halide, tetraallylammonium halide, tetraallylethylene diamine, N-vinyl-3(E)-ethylidene pyrrolidone, ethylidene bis(N-vinylpyrrolidone), and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid loss control additive is a homopolymer of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, or a cross-linked copolymer comprising a first comonomer of N-vinylpyrrolidone in a first comonomer concentration of at least 90 mol % of the copolymer and a second comonomer in a second comonomer concentration of less than 10 mol % of the copolymer, wherein the second comonomer comprises acrylamide, N-substituted acrylamides, methacrylamide, N-substituted methacrylamides, acrylates, methacrylates, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, N-vinylamides, N-allylamides, vinyl alcohol, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, allyl alcohol, allyl ethers, allyl esters, vinylpyridine, vinyl sulfonates, allyl sulfonates, vinylimidazole, allylimidazole, allylamine, diallylamine, allyltrimethylammonium halide, diallyldimethylammonium chloride, and diallyldialkylammonium halide, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid loss control additive is present in the drilling fluid in a concentration of about 0.1% to about 10% w/v of the drilling fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud point glycol comprises ethoxylated butanol, C3-C10 alcohol ethoxylates, C3-C10 alcohol propoxylates, and C3-C10 alcohol alkoxylates, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid has a density of about 9 lb/gal to about 20 lb/gal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid further comprises an additional fluid loss control additive.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additional fluid loss control additive comprises a cross-linked copolymer comprising a first comonomer of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid in a first comonomer concentration of at least 50 mol % of the copolymer; wherein the additional fluid loss control additive additionally comprises a second comonomer comprising an N-vinyl amide-containing monomer, a terminal double bound-containing monomer, or a combination of an N-vinyl amide-containing monomer and a terminal double bound-containing monomer; wherein the second comonomer is present in a total second comonomer concentration of 50 mol % or less of the copolymer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second comonomer of the additional fluid loss control additive is a comonomer selected from the group consisting of N-vinylpyrrolidone, N-vinylamides, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-substituted acrylamides, methacrylamide, N-substituted methacrylamides, acrylates, methacrylates, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, N-vinylamides, N-allylamides, vinyl alcohol, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, allyl alcohol, allyl ethers, allyl esters, vinylpyridine, vinyl sulfonates, allyl sulfonates, vinylimidazole, allylimidazole, allylamine, diallylamine, allyltrimethylammonium halide, diallyldimethylammonium halide, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the additional fluid loss control additive comprises a crosslinker selected from the group consisting of divinyl ether, diallyl ether, vinyl or allyl ethers of polyglycols or polyols, divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylimidazolidin-2-one, divinyltetrahydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one, dienes, triallyl amine, triallyl alkylammonium halide, tetraallylammonium halide, tetraallylethylene diamine, N-vinyl-3(E)-ethylidene pyrrolidone, ethylidene bis(N-vinylpyrrolidone), and any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid comprises no other fluid loss additives.

15. A system for drilling a wellbore, the system comprising:
mixing equipment configured to mix a drilling fluid comprising:
an aqueous base fluid;
a first fluid loss control additive that comprises a cross-linked polymer comprising N-vinylpyrrolidone as a monomer; and
a second fluid loss control additive that comprises a cloud point glycol; and

pumping equipment configured to pump the drilling fluid in the wellbore,
whereby a filter cake is formed, and subsequently introduce a brine into the wellbore,
wherein the brine comprises zinc,
wherein the drilling fluid comprises the second fluid loss control additive in a concentration of about 0.1% to about 10% w/v of the drilling fluid, such that the filter cake formed during the drilling exhibits enhanced filtration control capability in the presence of the subsequently introduced zinc-containing brine than a filter cake produced during drilling with an otherwise identical drilling fluid absent the second fluid loss control additive.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a drill string and a drill bit disposed within the wellbore; wherein the drilling fluid is pumped through the drill string and the drill bit.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first fluid loss control additive is a homopolymer of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, and/or wherein the second fluid loss control additive comprises ethoxylated butanol, C3-C10 alcohol ethoxylates, C3-C10 alcohol propoxylates, and C3-C10 alcohol alkoxylates, or a combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first fluid loss control additive is present in the drilling fluid in a concentration of about 0.1% to about 10% w/v of the drilling fluid, and wherein the drilling fluid has a density of about 9 lb/gal to about 20 lb/gal.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the drilling fluid comprises no other fluid loss additives.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the zinc-containing brine has a density of about 14 lb/

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• May Preston Andrew
• Zhou Hui
• Deville Jay

Classifications

• C09K8/5045

  containing inorganic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/508

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

• C09K8/04 Primary

  Aqueous well-drilling compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/05

  containing inorganic compounds only, e.g. mixtures of clay and salt · CPC title

• C09K8/487 Primary

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