Membrane forming in-situ polymerization for water based drilling fluid

• US 20040099446A1
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MI LLC (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: M-I Company Limited
• Inventors: Schlemmer, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,063,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/65
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/08 containing natural organic compounds, e.g. polysaccharides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/206 Derivatives of other natural products, e.g. cellulose, starch, sugars
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/512 containing cross-linking agents

Abstract

A method of increasing shale formation stability with a water based drilling fluid, the method including: delivering to the shale formation a drilling fluid formulated to include an aqueous fluid; a first reactant which is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde, or aldol groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and, a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms a semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant.

Claims

1. A water based drilling fluid capable of forming a membrane through in-situ polymerization comprising:

an aqueous continuous phase;

a first reactant, wherein the first reactant is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde or aldol groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and

,

a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant.

2. The drilling fluid of claim 1, wherein the first reactant is selected from the group consisting of:

an aldehyde, a ketone, a synthetic polymer, branched starch, unbranched starch, dextrin, methylglucoside, substituted methylglucoside, corn syrup, malto-dextrin, molasses, sugar, cellulose, reducing sugars, polymerized reducing sugars and mixtures and combinations thereof.

3. The drilling fluid of claim 1 wherein the second reactant is an amino acid or polyamino acid.

4. The drilling fluid of claim 1 wherein the second reactant is selected from the group consisting of hexamethylene diamine (HMDA), ethoxylated alkyl ether amine, propoxylated alkyl ether amine, polyoxy propylene diamine, and combinations thereof.

5. The drilling fluid of claim 1 wherein the aqueous fluid contains a salt.

6. The drilling fluid of claim 5 wherein the salt is selected from sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and combinations thereof.

7. A method of making a water based drilling fluid comprising:

mixing together the following;

an aqueous fluid;

a first reactant which is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde, or aldol functional groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and

,

a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms a semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant.

8. A method of drilling a well in a formation with shale comprising:

drilling using a drilling fluid comprising;

an aqueous fluid;

a first reactant which is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde, or aldol groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and

,

a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms a semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant;

to create an osmotic membrane on the shale formation.

9. A method of increasing shale formation stability with a water based drilling fluid comprising:

delivering to the shale formation a drilling fluid comprising;

an aqueous fluid;

a first reactant which is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde, or aldol groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and

,

a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms a semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant.

10. A method of generating an osmotic membrane over a shale formation comprising:

delivering to the shale formation a drilling fluid comprising;

an aqueous fluid;

a first reactant which is a soluble monomer, oligomer, or polymer with exposed ketone, aldehyde, or aldol groups or with groups which can be shifted to ketone or aldehyde functionality; and

,

a second reactant which is a primary amine, diamine, or polyamine which by condensation reaction forms a semi-soluble or precipitated filming product with the first reactant.