Methods of enhancing fluid loss control using additives

• US 10,442,974 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Whitfill, Donald Lee, Savari, Sharath, Miller, Matthew L., Jamison, Dale E., Murphy, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sue-Ako, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/103,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160312102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/08 Fiber-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/426 for plugging
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/5045 containing inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/5083 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/512 containing cross-linking agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/514 of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose C09K8/512 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/52 Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/003 Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation

Abstract

In some instances, a fluid loss control enhancement additive may synergistically work with lost circulation materials (“LCM”) to arrest lost circulation in wellbores where LCMs alone have been ineffective. For example, a method may involve treating a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a pill comprising an aqueous base fluid and a lost circulation material; observing fluid loss from the wellbore to the subterranean formation while treating the wellbore with the pill; and adding salt, a swellable polymer, and fibers to the pill.

Claims

1. A method of fluid loss control, the method comprising:

preparing a pill at a surface of a well bore, wherein the pill comprises;

an aqueous base fluid, and

a lost circulation material;

pumping the pill to a subterranean formation through the wellbore, wherein the pill is pumped down a drill string and through a drill bit into the subterranean formation;

allowing the pill to treat the subterranean formation and circulating at least a portion of the pill back to the surface of the subterranean formation;

observing a severe fluid loss from the wellbore to the subterranean formation at a rate of about 100 barrels per hour or greater while treating the wellbore with the pill;

after observing the severe fluid loss, adding a fluid loss control enhancement additive to the pill, wherein the fluid loss control enhancement additive comprises;

a salt,

a swellable polymer, and

fibers, wherein the salt is present in the pill in the amount of about 0.5 ppb to about 2.5 ppb;

pumping the pill down the drill string and through a drill bit into the subterranean formation;

allowing the pill to treat the subterranean formation, wherein the swellable polymer swells to at least about 10 times its original volume or greater as it absorbs water,

wherein the fluid loss control enhancement additive works in combination with the lost circulation material to reduce or altogether stop lost circulation in the wellbore; and

introducing an acid or acid generating compound into the wellbore and contacting the swellable polymer thereby at least partially degrading the swellable polymer, wherein the acid is at least one of hydrobromic acid, hydrofluoric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, fluoroacetic acid, difluoroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, methanesulfonic acid, citric acid, and any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lost circulation material is present in the pill at about 40 pounds per barrel (“

ppb”

) to about 120 ppb.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt, the swellable polymer, and the fibers are added to the pill simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt, the swellable polymer, and the fibers are added to the pill independently.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

sodium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the swellable polymer is present in the pill at about 1 ppb to about 10 ppb.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the swellable polymer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a crosslinked polyacrylamide, a crosslinked polyacrylate, a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylate monomers, a starch backbone grafted with acrylonitrile and acrylate, hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile, a carboxyalkyl cellulose, a carboxymethyl starch, a salt of carboxymethyl cellulose, a carboxyalkyl polysaccharide, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the swellable polymer comprises a polymer of two or more of:

allylsulfonate, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propane-sulfonic acid, aclylamide, an acrylic acid monomer, and N-vinylpyrrolidone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibers are present in the pill at about 0.25 ppb to about 3 ppb.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibers comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of:

viscose cellulosic fibers, oil coated cellulosic fibers, carbon fibers, melt-processed inorganic fibers, basalt fibers, wollastonite fibers, non-amorphous metallic fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, polymeric fibers, polypropylene fibers, poly(acrylic nitrile) fibers, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid generating compound is at least one of an ester, aliphatic polyesters, orthoesters, poly(orthoesters), poly(lactides), poly(glycolides), poly(e-caprolactones), poly(hydroxybutyrates), poly(anhydrides), ethylene glycol monoformate, ethylene glycol diformate, diethylene glycol diformate, glyceryl monoformate, glyceryl diformate, glyceryl triformate, triethylene glycol diformate, formate esters of pentaerythritol, and combinations thereof.

12. A method of fluid loss control comprising:

preparing a first pill at a surface of a well bore, wherein the pill comprises;

an aqueous base fluid, and

a lost circulation material;

pumping the first pill to a subterranean formation through the wellbore, wherein the first pill is pumped down a drill string and through a drill bit into the subterranean formation;

observing severe fluid loss from the wellbore to the subterranean formation at a rate of about 100 barrels per hour or greater after completion of treating the wellbore with the first pill;

after observing the severe fluid loss, treating the wellbore with a second pill comprising a second aqueous base fluid and a fluid loss control enhancement additive, wherein the fluid loss control enhancement additive comprises a salt comprising sodium chloride, a swellable polymer comprising crosslinked polyacrylamide, and fibers comprising viscose, wherein the salt is present in the second pill in the amount of about 0.5 ppb to about 2.5 ppb;

pumping the pill down the drill string and through a drill bit into the subterranean formation;

allowing the pill to treat the subterranean formation, wherein the swellable polymer swells to at least about 10 times its original volume or greater as it absorbs water,

wherein the fluid loss control enhancement additive works in combination with the lost circulation material to reduce or altogether stop lost circulation in the wellbore; and

introducing an acid or acid generating compound into the wellbore and contacting the swellable polymer thereby at least partially degrading the swellable polymer, wherein the acid is at least one of hydrobromic acid, hydrofluoric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, fluoroacetic acid, difluoroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, methanesulfonic acid, citric acid, and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the lost circulation material is present in the first pill at about 40 pounds per barrel (“

ppb”

) to about 120 ppb.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the swellable polymer is present in the pin at about 1 ppb to about 10 ppb.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the fibers are present in the pill at about 0.25 ppb to about 3 ppb.