Anti-bit balling drilling fluids, and methods of making and use thereof

• US 10,266,745 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Al-Yami, Abdullah, Ba Hamdan, Abdulaziz A., Haidary, Saleh A., Wagle, Vikrant, AlBahrani, Hussain, Safran, Ali, AlHareth, Nasser, Awadh, Abdulla H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sue-Ako, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/485,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20180223159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/141 Slags
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/146 Silica fume
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/12 Set accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/22 Set retarders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/40 Surface-active agents, dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/46 Water-loss or fluid-loss reducers, hygroscopic or hydrophilic agents, water retention agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/50 Defoamers, air detrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00068 Mortar or concrete mixtures with an unusual water/cement ratio
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2201/20 for the density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/02 Alcohols; Phenols; Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/026 Fatty alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/04 Carboxylic acids; Salts, anhydrides or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/08 Fats; Fatty oils; Ester type waxes; Higher fatty acids, i.e. having at least seven carbon atoms in an unbroken chain bound to a carboxyl group; Oxidised oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/085 Higher fatty acids
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/32 Polyethers, e.g. alkylphenol polyglycolether
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/08 Slag cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/02 : by adding chemical blowing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 : Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/527 : obtaining cements characterised by fineness, e.g. by multi-modal particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/12 : Swell inhibition, i.e. using additives to drilling or well treatment fluids for inhibiting clay or shale swelling or disintegrating
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/34 : Lubricant additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 23/00 : Use of substances as emulsifying, wetting, dispersing, or foam-producing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 23/018 : Mixtures of two or more different organic oxygen-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 23/38 : Alcohols, e.g. oxidation products of paraffins
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 23/42 : Ethers, e.g. polyglycol ethers of alcohols or phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/03 : Specific additives for general use in well-drilling compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/032 : Inorganic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/035 : Organic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/04 : Aqueous well-drilling compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/08 : containing natural organic compounds, e.g. polysaccharides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/20 : Natural organic compounds or derivatives thereof, e.g. polysaccharides or lignin derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/22 : Synthetic organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/24 : Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/28 : containing organic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/32 : Non-aqueous well-drilling compositions, e.g. oil-based
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/36 : Water-in-oil emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/40 : Spacer compositions, e.g. compositions used to separate well-drilling from cementing masses
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/424 : using "spacer" compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/46 : containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/48 : Density increasing or weighting additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/487 : Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/506 : containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/508 : macromolecular compounds C09K8/512 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/514 : of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose C09K8/512 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/74 : combined with additives added for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/18 : Ethers, e.g. epoxides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/62 : containing hydroxy groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/34 : Polyoxyalkylenes
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 111/04 : at least one of them being a macromolecular organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 173/00 : Lubricating compositions containing more than 10% water
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 173/02 : not containing mineral or fatty oils
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/062 : Oxides; Hydroxides; Carbonates or bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/08 : Inorganic acids or salts thereof of phosphorus C10M2201/085, of chromium C10M2201/086, of boron C10M2201/087; metal carbonates or bicarbonates C10M2201/062
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/103 : Clays; Mica; Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/003 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/046 : Hydroxy ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/104 : of alkylene oxides containing two carbon atoms only
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1045 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/108 : etherified
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/042 : containing hydroxy groups; Alkoxylated derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/08 : Amides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/265 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/28 : Amides; Imides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2217/044 : Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/017 : Specific gravity or density
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/02 : Viscosity; Viscosity index
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/04 : Molecular weight; Molecular weight distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/06 : Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/22 : with essential removal of material , e.g. cutting, grinding or drilling
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/40 : Generators or electric motors in oil or gas winning field
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2050/013 : Water-in-oil
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/00 : 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 Class Codes: E21B 21/002 : Down-hole drilling fluid separation systems containers comprising collecting means with a strainer E21B27/005; subsoil filtering E21B43/02; down-hole production separators E21B43/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/003 : Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/14 : for cementing casings into boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 : Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

Anti-bit balling drilling fluids and methods of making and using drilling fluids are provided. The anti-bit balling drilling fluid contains water, a clay-based component, and at least one of a surfactant having the formula: R—(OC₂H₄)_x—OH, where R is a hydrocarbyl group having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms and x is an integer from 1 and 10, or a polyethylene glycol having the formula: H—(O—CH₂—CH₂)_n—OH, where n is an integer from 1 to 50. Methods of making and using these drilling fluids are also provided.

Claims

1. A drilling fluid consisting of:

from 28 to 850 lb/bbl water based on the total weight of the drilling fluid;

from 28 to 720 lb/bbl of a clay-based component based on the total weight of the drilling fluid;

from 0.02 to 180 lb/bbl of a surfactant based on the total weight of the drilling fluid, the surfactant consisting of Formula (I);

R—

(OC₂H₄)_x—

OH 

 

Formula (I)

where R is a hydrocarbyl group having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms,

x is an integer from 1 and 10; and

optionally one or more additives selected from the group consisting of weighting agents, dispersants, pH buffers, electrolytes, glycols, glycerols, dispersion aids, corrosion inhibitors, defoamers, starches, xanthan gum polymers, and combinations thereof, where the drilling fluid has an accretion percentage of less than or equal to 15%.

2. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the surfactant has an HLB of from 8 to 16.

3. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the surfactant consists of Formula (I) and R is:

an alkyl group comprising 12 to 15 carbons;

or

an alkenyl group comprising from 12 to 15 carbon atoms.

4. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the surfactant consists of Formula (I) and x is from 5 to 10.

5. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the surfactant has an HLB of from 13 to 15.

6. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the surfactant comprises ethylene oxide condensate of branched isotridecyl alcohol.

7. The drilling fluid of claim 1, where the clay-based component comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of lime (CaO), CaCO₃, bentonite, montmorillonite clay, barium sulfate (barite), hematite (Fe₂O₃), mullite (3Al₂O₃.2SiO₂ or 2Al₂O₃.SiO₂), kaolin, (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄ or kaolinite), alumina (Al₂O₃, or aluminum oxide), silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, and combinations thereof.