Particles for use in wellbore fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676988-B2
Application number	US-201213979588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2012
Priority date	Jan 12, 2011
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides a method of manufacturing a solid phase barite containing material for use in a wellbore. The method includes the steps of providing the barite containing material having relatively small particles with a particle size distribution of at least 50 vol % particles having a diameter in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm and at least 90 vol % particles having a diameter in the range of 4 μm to 20 μm; and contacting the barite containing material with a liquid in order to form relatively large particles having a particle size distribution with at least 90 vol % of the particles having a diameter of at least 30 μm. There is also described a method of treating a wellbore with a fluid including the barite containing material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a solid phase barite containing material for use in a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing the barite containing material having relatively small particles with a particle size distribution of at least 50 vol % particles having a diameter in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm and at least 90 vol % particles having a diameter in the range of 4 μm to 20 μm;
contacting the barite containing material with a liquid in order to form relatively large particles having a particle size distribution with at least 90 vol % of the particles having a diameter of at least 30 μm, wherein the liquid is one or more selected from the list consisting of: solutions of sodium chloride and calcium chloride; lignosulphonate, natural gum products including guar gum, glycols, and commercially available binders.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relatively large particles have a particle size distribution with at least 90 vol % of the particles having a diameter of at least 40 μm.

3. A method as claimed claim 1 , wherein the relatively large particles have a particle size distribution with at least 90 vol % of the particles having a diameter in the range of 700-900 μm.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relatively small particles are moved in a conveyor from a position (a) to a position (b) and are contacted with the liquid at a point or points at or between said positions (a) and (b).

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solid phase barite containing material contains 0.6-10 wt % of the liquid.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising drying the relatively large particles to remove 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of the liquid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the barite containing material with a liquid comprises using a pin-mixer to contact the liquid with the barite containing material.

Assignees

• Massam Jarrod
• Bingham Richard
• Philip Mazin
• M-I Drilling Fluids Uk Ltd
• M-I L L C

Inventors

• Massam Jarrod
• Bingham Richard
• Philip Mazin

Classifications

• E21B21/00

  Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor (freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03) · CPC title

• C04B14/368

  Baryte · CPC title

• C09K8/36 Primary

  Water-in-oil emulsions · CPC title

• C09K8/48

  Density increasing or weighting additives · CPC title

• C04B18/02

  Agglomerated materials {, e.g. artificial aggregates} · CPC title