Date Tree Waste-Based Compound Fibrous LCMs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018002589-A1
Application number	US-201715436129-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jan 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A date tree waste-based lost circulation material (LCM) is provided. The date tree waste LCM may include includes fibers from the date tree waste produced from processing date trees in the production of date fruits. The date tree waste may include fibers from one or more of the following: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaflets, date tree panicles, and date tree roots. The date tree waste LCM may include fibers having lengths in the range of 5 millimeters (5 mm) to 15 mm, diameters in the range of 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm, and having an aspect ratio range of 6 to 30. Methods of lost circulation control using and manufacture of a date tree waste LCM are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to control lost circulation in a lost circulation zone in a wellbore, comprising:
introducing an altered drilling fluid into the wellbore such that the altered drilling fluid contacts the lost circulation zone and reduces a rate of lost circulation into the lost circulation zone, where the altered drilling fluid comprises a drilling fluid and a lost circulation material (LCM), wherein the LCM comprises a plurality of date tree waste fibers produced from date tree waste, wherein the date tree waste comprises waste from date palm processing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the altered drilling fluid consists of the drilling fluid and the LCM.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the LCM consists of the plurality of date tree waste fibers produced from date tree waste.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the date tree waste comprises at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree roots.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the date tree waste fibers comprise fibers produced from at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree roots.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of date tree waste fibers comprise a concentration of at least 30 pounds-per-barrel (ppb) in the altered drilling fluid.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced rate of lost circulation of a fluid portion of the altered drilling fluid is zero.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a length in the range of 5 millimeters (mm) to 15 mm.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a diameter in the range of 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 0.8 mm.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of plurality of date tree fibers has an aspect ratio in the range of 6 to 30.

11 . An altered drilling fluid, comprising:
a drilling fluid; and a lost circulation material (LCM), wherein the LCM comprises a plurality of date tree waste fibers produced from date tree waste, wherein the date tree waste comprises waste from date palm processing.

12 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the date tree waste comprises at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree roots.

13 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the date tree waste fibers comprise fibers produced from at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree roots.

14 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of date tree waste fibers comprise a concentration of at least 30 pounds-per-barrel (ppb) in the altered drilling fluid.

15 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of date tree waste fibers comprise a plurality of untreated date tree waste fibers.

16 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a length in the range of 5 millimeters (mm) to 15 mm.

17 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a diameter in the range of 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 0.8 mm.

18 . The altered drilling fluid of claim 11 , wherein each of plurality of date tree fibers has an aspect ratio in the range of 6 to 30.

19 . A lost circulation material (LCM) composition, the composition comprising:
a plurality of date tree waste fibers produced from date tree waste, wherein the date tree waste comprises waste from date palm processing, wherein the date tree waste comprises at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree root.

20 . The LCM composition of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of date tree waste fibers comprise a plurality of untreated date tree waste fibers.

21 . The LCM composition of claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a length in the range of 5 millimeters (mm) to 15 mm.

22 . The LCM composition of claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of date tree fibers has a diameter in the range of 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 0.8 mm.

23 . The LCM composition of claim 19 , wherein each of plurality of date tree fibers has an aspect ratio in the range of 6 to 30.

24 . A method of forming a lost circulation material (LCM), comprising:
grinding date tree waste to produce a plurality of date tree waste fibers, wherein the date tree waste comprises waste from date palm processing and further comprises at least one of: date tree trunks, date tree rachis, date tree leaves, date tree leaflets, and date tree roots; and mixing the plurality of date tree waste fibers to form a homogenous mix of the date tree waste fibers, the LCM comprising the homogenous mix.

25 . The method of claim 24 , comprising chopping the date tree waste before grinding the date tree waste.

26 . The method of claim 25 , comprising washing the date tree waste before chopping the date tree waste.

27 . The method of claim 24 , comprising crushing the date tree waste to produce the plurality of date tree waste fibers, wherein the crushing is performed during the grinding.

28 . The method of claim 24 , comprising sun drying the homogenous mix of date tree waste fibers for a time period at atmospheric conditions.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Amanullah Md

Classifications

• C09K8/514

  of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose (C09K8/512 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C09K8/035 Primary

  Organic additives · CPC title

• C09K2208/04

  Hulls, shells or bark containing well drilling or treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K2208/08

  Fiber-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• G01N33/2823

  Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures · CPC title