Apparatus and methods for improved fluid displacement in subterranean formations

• US 20060060351A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Dealy, Sears T., Gray, Dennis W., Heathman, James F., Cantrell, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,128,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/250.140
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/42 Compositions for cementing, e.g. for cementing casings into boreholes; Compositions for plugging, e.g. for killing wells compositions for plastering C09K8/50
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/904 Process of making fluids or additives therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/927 Well cleaning fluid

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for determining suitable displacement fluids for use in subterranean cementing operations, and methods of cementing that use such displacement fluids, are provided. Examples of methods include methods of water-wetting an annulus in a subterranean formation having an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid disposed on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the annulus. Another example of a method is a method of using an inverter fluid in a subterranean formation that includes a tubular string disposed therein having an annular region adjacent the outer surface of the tubular string, at least part of the annular region having an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid on a surface thereof. Another example of a method of the present invention is a method of identifying an inverter fluid to use for inverting an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid in a subterranean formation.

Claims

1. A method of water-wetting an annulus in a subterranean formation having an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid disposed on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the annulus, the method comprising:

designing an inverter fluid that intermixes with the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid to cause the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid to invert, the designing step comprising;

contacting a selected inverter fluid with a test fluid having a composition nominally equivalent to the composition of the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid, the contacting being performed at a temperature and pressure of about the pressure and temperature to which the inverter fluid will be exposed during placement in the annulus; and

evaluating the results of the contacting between the selected inverter fluid and the test fluid to determine if the selected inverter fluid inverted the test fluid to a desired degree;

making the designed inverter fluid to be placed in the annulus; and

placing the designed inverter fluid in the annulus so as to invert the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the annulus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the steps of contacting and evaluating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting, the evaluating, and the making are performed at the well.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating comprises:

measuring a value of a parameter related to the electrical conductivity of the composition comprising the test fluid and a portion of the selected inverter fluid; and

continuing to measure the value of the parameter as further portions of the selected inverter fluid are added to the composition, until the measured value of the parameter indicates that the mixture of the composition and the added further portions of the selected inverter fluid has inverted from an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal state to an aqueous-external/oleaginous-internal state.

5. A method of using an inverter fluid in a subterranean formation that comprises a tubular string disposed therein having an annular region adjacent the outer surface of the tubular string, at least part of the annular region having an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid on a surface thereof, the method comprising:

designing an inverter fluid that intermixes with the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid to remove at least a portion of the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid on the outer surface of the tubular string, the designing further comprising;

contacting a selected inverter fluid with a test fluid having a composition nominally equivalent to the composition of the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid, the contacting being performed at a temperature and pressure of about the pressure and temperature to which the inverter fluid will be exposed during placement in the annulus;

evaluating the results of the contacting between the selected inverter fluid and the test fluid to determine if the selected inverter fluid inverted the test fluid to a desired degree; and

repeating the steps of contacting and evaluating to a desired extent;

making the designed inverter fluid to be placed in the annulus;

placing the inverter fluid in the formation; and

placing a completion fluid or a cement composition in the formation, wherein the inverter fluid precedes the completion fluid or cement composition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the placement of the inverter fluid in the formation displaces at least part of the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid in the annular region.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the inverter fluid inverts the coating of oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid sufficient to remove the coating from the outer surface of the tubular string before the tubular string is contacted by the cement composition.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the placement of the cement composition or the completion fluid in the annulus displaces at least part of the inverter fluid from the subterranean formation.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the contacting, the evaluating, and the making are performed at the well.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the evaluating further comprises:

measuring a value of a parameter related to the electrical conductivity of the composition comprising the test fluid and a portion of the selected inverter fluid; and

continuing to measure the value of the parameter as further portions of the selected inverter fluid are added to the composition, until the measured value of the parameter indicates that the mixture of the composition and the added further portions of the selected inverter fluid has inverted from an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal state to an aqueous-external/oleaginous-internal state.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the inverter fluid and the cement composition are the same fluid.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the completion fluid comprises a compound chosen from the following group:

calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium bromide, zinc bromide, cesium formate, and potassium formate.

13. A method of identifying an inverter fluid to use for inverting an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid in a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

measuring, at a temperature and pressure of about the pressure and temperature to which the inverter fluid will be exposed during placement in the formation, a value of a parameter related to the electrical conductivity of an initial composition that comprises;

a test fluid portion having a composition nominally equivalent to the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid; and

a portion of a selected inverter fluid; and

adding a further portion of the selected inverter fluid to the initial composition until the measured value of the parameter indicates that the mixture of the initial composition plus the added further portion of the selected inverter fluid has inverted from an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal state to an aqueous-external/oleaginous-internal state.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a concentration of an inverter fluid ingredient used in the added further portion relative to the total volume of selected inverter fluid in the initial composition and added further portion of the selected inverter fluid.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the total volume of the selected inverter fluid in the initial composition and the added further part of the selected inverter fluid and determining the ratio of the determined total volume to the volume of test fluid in the initial composition.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising making the initial composition, the making comprising mixing the test fluid and an aqueous-based fluid as the selected inverter fluid;

and wherein the step of adding a further portion of the selected inverter fluid comprises injecting a selected surfactant in the initial composition.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising making the initial composition, the making comprising mixing the test fluid, and a spacer fluid/surfactant composition as the selected inverter fluid, in a selected ratio;

and

wherein the step of adding a further portion of the selected inverter fluid includes injecting additional spacer fluid/surfactant composition in the initial composition.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the measuring step further comprises elevating the pressure and temperature of the test fluid and the inverter fluid to a temperature and pressure of about a temperature and pressure to which the inverter fluid will be exposed in a subterranean formation; and

the adding step further comprises heating and stirring the initial composition.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a concentration of an inverter fluid ingredient used in the added further portion relative to the total of selected inverter fluid in the initial composition and added further portion of the selected inverter fluid.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining the total volume of the selected inverter fluid in the initial composition and the added further portion of the selected inverter fluid and determining the ratio of the determined total volume to the volume of test fluid in the initial composition.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising making the initial composition, the making comprising mixing the test fluid and an aqueous-based fluid as the selected inverter fluid;

and wherein the step of adding a further portion of the selected inverter fluid comprises injecting a selected surfactant in the initial composition.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising making the initial composition, the making comprising mixing the test fluid, and an aqueous-based fluid/surfactant composition as the selected inverter fluid, in a selected ratio;

and wherein the step of adding a further portion of the selected inverter fluid comprises injecting additional spacer fluid/surfactant composition in the initial composition.

23. A method of water-wetting an annulus in a subterranean formation having an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid disposed on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the annulus, the method comprising:

selecting an inverter fluid composition that is capable of inverting the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid as determined by evaluating the results of contacting a proposed inverter fluid and a test fluid to determine if the proposed inverter fluid inverted the test fluid to a desired degree;

providing the selected inverter fluid composition to be placed in the annulus; and

placing the selected inverter fluid composition in the annulus so as to invert the oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal fluid on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the annulus.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the selecting, the evaluating, the providing, and the placing steps are performed at the well.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the evaluating the results of contacting a proposed inverter fluid and a test fluid to determine if the proposed inverter fluid inverted the test fluid to a desired degree comprises:

measuring a value of a parameter related to the electrical conductivity of a composition comprising the test fluid and a portion of the proposed inverter fluid; and

continuing to measure the value of the parameter as further portions of the proposed inverter fluid are added to the composition, until the measured value of the parameter indicates that the mixture of the composition and the added further portions of the proposed inverter fluid has inverted from an oleaginous-external/aqueous-internal state to an aqueous-external/oleaginous-internal state.