Electrically conductive oil-based drilling fluids

• US 20110254553A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: van Zanten, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/366
• 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 8/64 Oil-based compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/82 Oil-based compositions C09K8/64 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/20 operating with propagation of electric current

Abstract

A method of servicing a wellbore comprising placing an oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprising an electrical conductivity enhancer into the wellbore and logging the wellbore by resistivity imaging. A method of servicing a wellbore comprising introducing an oil-based drilling fluid to a wellbore, identifying a subsection of the wellbore for imaging, introducing to the subsection of the wellbore a oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprising a carbon nanotube wherein the servicing fluid comprising the electrical conductivity enhancer mixes with the oil-based drilling fluid; and imaging the subsection of the wellbore.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a wellbore comprising;

placing an oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprising an electrical conductivity enhancer into the wellbore; and

logging the wellbore by resistivity imaging.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprises hydrocarbons, olefins, internal olefin based oil, mineral oil, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, synthetic oil, linear or branched paraffin, ester, acetal, mixtures of crude oil, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprises a water-in-oil emulsion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil is present in the wellbore servicing fluid in an amount of equal to or greater than about 50 wt. % based on the total weight of the wellbore servicing fluid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid further comprises water in an amount of equal to or less than about 50 wt. % based on total weight of the wellbore servicing fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductivity enhancer is present in an amount of from about 0.1 lbs/bbl to about 10 lbs/bbl.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductivity enhancer comprises fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, C₆₀ carbon molecules, icosahedral C₆₀ carbon molecules, C₇₂, C₈₄, C₉₆, C₁₀₈, or C₁₂₀ single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical conductivity enhancer comprises carbon nanotubes.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the carbon nanotubes have a length of from about 10 μ

m to about 10 mm.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the carbon nanotubes have an aspect ratio of from about 100,000,000 to about 1.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the carbon nanotubes are functionalized to increase the hydrophilicity.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid has an electrical resistivity of from about 0.01 Ohm*m to about 20 Ohm*m.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid has an electrical stability of from about 1 V to about 200 V.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid has a yield point of from about 1 lbs/1000 ft² to about 50 lbs/1000 ft².

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid has a plastic viscosity of from about 1 cP to about 100 cP.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein well logging is improved when compared to an otherwise similar process lacking an electrical conductivity enhancer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the wellbore servicing fluid comprises an emulsion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the emulsion retains a single phase in the presence of the electrical conductivity enhancer.

19. A method of servicing a wellbore comprising;

introducing an oil-based drilling fluid to a wellbore;

identifying a subsection of the wellbore for imaging;

introducing to the subsection of the wellbore a oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprising a carbon nanotube wherein the servicing fluid comprising the electrical conductivity enhancer mixes with the oil-based drilling fluid; and

imaging the subsection of the wellbore.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the carbon nanotube has been functionalized by contacting with an oxidizing agent.

21. An oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprising an electrical conductivity enhancer, wherein the oil-based wellbore servicing fluid comprises hydrocarbons, olefins, an internal olefin based oil, mineral oil, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, synthetic oil, a linear or branched paraffin, an ester, an acetal, mixtures of crude oil, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof;

and

wherein the electrical conductivity enhancer comprises fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, C₆₀ carbon molecules, icosahedral C₆₀ carbon molecules, C₇₂, C₈₄, C₉₆, C₁₀₈, or C₁₂₀ single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

22. The wellbore servicing fluid of claim 21, wherein the fluid comprises an emulsion and the electrical conductivity enhancer comprises a functionalized carbon nanotube.