Invert emulsion gravel pack fluid and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796907-B2
Application number	US-201615041733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 8, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A gravel packing fluid and method for brine-sensitive formations. The fluid comprises an invert oil emulsion compatible with oil based drilling fluids and having a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine. The fluid is capable of carrying gravel yet has a viscosity less than 100 cp, often eliminating the need for an emulsion breaker during flow-back of the fluid to the well surface after deposition of gravel in the well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gravel pack carrier fluid comprising:
an invert emulsion comprising an oleaginous external phase, an aqueous internal phase, and a type and quantity of emulsifier effective to produce a stable invert emulsion; and
a suspension agent comprising a polyurea compound and a dimer diamine compound, such that the carrier fluid is able to suspend and deposit gravel in a wellbore and flowback to the surface.

2. The carrier fluid of claim 1 wherein the dimer diamine compound is a C36 dimer diamine.

3. The carrier fluid of claim 1 having a viscosity less than 100 cp.

4. The carrier fluid of claim 1 having a viscosity less than 40 cp.

5. The carrier fluid of claim 1 wherein the polyurea compound has a concentration in the carrier fluid of from about 1 ppb to about 20 ppb.

6. The carrier fluid of claim 1 wherein the dimer diamine compound has a concentration in the carrier fluid of from about 1 ppb to about 20 ppb.

7. The carrier fluid of claim 1 wherein the aqueous internal phase of the invert emulsion comprises a brine comprising salt selected from the group consisting of:
potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, tetramethyl ammonium chloride, and any combination thereof.

8. The carrier fluid of claim 1 wherein the oleaginous external phase of the invert emulsion is compatible with oil-based drilling fluids.

9. The carrier fluid of claim 1 having a density of from about 8.8 ppg to about 19.2 ppg.

10. The carrier fluid of clam 1 further comprising a solid particulate.

11. The carrier fluid of claim 10 wherein the solid particulate has an average particle size of from about 200 U.S. mesh to about 4 U.S. mesh.

12. The carrier fluid of claim 10 wherein the solid particulate has a density of from about 0.5 g/cc to about 4.5 g/cc.

13. A composition comprising: gravel and a carrier fluid that comprises an invert emulsion and a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine, wherein the carrier fluid is a carrier for the gravel.

14. The composition of claim 13 wherein the carrier fluid has a viscosity of less than 100 cp.

15. The of claim 13 wherein the polyurea in the carrier fluid has a concentration in the range of about 1 to about 20 ppb.

16. The of claim 13 wherein the dimer diamine in the carrier fluid has a concentration in the range of about 1 to about 20 ppb.

17. The composition of claim 13 wherein the carrier fluid has a density in the range of about 8.8 ppg to about 19.2 ppg.

18. A composition comprising:
an oleaginous continuous phase;
a discontinuous phase;
a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine; and
a solid particulate.

19. The composition of claim 18 wherein the solid particulate has an average particle size of from about 200 U.S. mesh to about 4 U.S. mesh.

20. The composition of claim 18 wherein the solid particulate has a density of from about 0.5 g/cc to about 4.5 g/cc.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Wagle Vikrant Bhavanishankar
• Kulkarni Dhanashree Gajanan

Classifications

• E21B43/04

  Gravelling of wells · CPC title

• C09K8/565 Primary

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/36 Primary

  Water-in-oil emulsions · CPC title