Fluids for use with High-frequency Downhole Tools

• US 20130261030A1
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Monteiro, Othon, Ellis, Daniel R.
• Application Number:
  US13/903,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 507/105
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• 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 8/32 Non-aqueous well-drilling compositions, e.g. oil-based
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/82 Oil-based compositions C09K8/64 takes precedence

Abstract

A fluid may contain nanoparticles and a base fluid where the base fluid may be a non-aqueous fluid. The base fluid may be, but is not limited to a drilling fluid, a completion fluid, a production fluid, and/or a stimulation fluid. The fluid may have at least one property, such as but not limited to a dielectric constant ranging from about 5 to about 10,000, an electrical conductivity ranging from about 1×10⁻⁶ S/m to about 1 S/m, and combinations thereof. The non-aqueous fluid may be a brine-in-oil emulsion, or a water-in-oil emulsion, and combinations thereof. The addition of nanoparticles to the base fluid may modify the electrical properties of the fluid.

Claims

1. A fluid composition comprising:

a non-aqueous base fluid selected from the group consisting of an oil-based fluid, a brine-in-oil emulsion, a brine-in-non-aqueous fluid emulsion, a water-in-oil emulsion, and combinations thereof;

nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of graphene, graphene platelets, graphene oxide, nanorods, nanoplatelets, nanoclays, nano-titanium oxide platelets, nano-oxides, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the fluid composition has at least one property selected from about 5 to about 10,000, an electrical conductivity ranging from about 1×

10<sup>−

6</sup> S/m to about 1 S/m, and combinations thereof.

2. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the fluid further comprises an additional component that is different from the nanoparticles, wherein the additional component is selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, graphite, micro-nitrides, and combinations thereof.

3. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are present in the fluid in an amount effective to improve the performance of a high-frequency downhole tool as compared to an otherwise identical fluid absent the nanoparticles.

4. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the base fluid is selected from the group consisting of a drilling fluid, completion fluid, a production fluid, a servicing fluid, and combinations thereof.

5. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles have at least one dimension no greater than 100 nm.

6. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of chemically-modified nanoparticles, covalently-modified nanoparticles, functionalized nanoparticles, exfoliated nanoparticles and combinations thereof, wherein the modification and/or functionalization of the nanoparticles alters a characteristic of the nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of improving their dispersibility in a non-aqueous fluid, modifying the electrical conductivity of the nanoparticles, and combinations thereof as compared with otherwise identical nanoparticles that have not been modified or functionalized.

7. The fluid composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles are functionalized nanoparticles having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a sulfonate, a sulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a thiosulfate, a succinate, a carboxylate, a hydroxyl, a glucoside, an ethoxylate, a propoxylate, a phosphate, an ethoxylate, an ether, an amine, an amide, an alkyl, an alkenyl, a phenyl, benzyl, a perfluoro, thiol, an ester, an epoxy, a keto group, a lactone, a metal, an organometallic group, an oligomer, a polymer, and combinations thereof.

8. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are covalently-modified nanoparticles having at least one covalent modification selected from the group consisting of oxidation;

free radical additions;

addition of carbenes, nitrenes and other radicals;

arylamine attachment via diazonium chemistry; and

combinations thereof.

9. The fluid composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are exfoliated by a method selected from the group consisting of fluorination, acid intercalation, acid intercalation followed by thermal shock treatment, and a combination thereof.

10. The fluid composition of claim 1 wherein the amount of nanoparticles within the fluid range from about 0.0001 wt % to about 10 wt %.

11. A fluid composition comprising:

a base fluid selected from the group consisting of a brine-in-oil emulsion, brine-in-non-aqueous fluid emulsion, a water-in-oil-emulsion, and combinations thereof;

a nanoparticle blend having nanoparticles and an additional component;

wherein the nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of graphene, graphene platelets, graphene oxide, nanorods, nanoplatelets, nanoclays, nano-titanium oxide platelets, nano-oxides, and combinations thereof;

wherein the additional component is different from the nanoparticles and is selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, graphite, micro-nitrides, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of functionalized nanoparticles, chemically-modified nanoparticles, covalently modified nanoparticles, and combinations thereof;

a surfactant in an amount effective to suspend the nanoparticle blend in the base fluid; and

wherein the nanoparticle blend improves the performance of a high-frequency downhole tool as compared to an otherwise identical fluid absent the nanoparticle blend.

12. A method comprising:

adding an effective amount of nanoparticles to a base fluid to improve the performance of a high-frequency downhole tool as compared to an otherwise identical fluid absent the nanoparticles;

wherein the base fluid is selected from the group consisting of a non-aqueous base fluid selected from the group consisting of an oil-based fluid, a brine-in-oil emulsion, a brine-in-non-aqueous fluid emulsion, a water-in-oil emulsion, and combinations thereof; and

;

wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of graphene, graphene platelets, graphene oxide, nanorods, nanoplatelets, nanoclays, nano-titanium oxide platelets, nano-oxides, nano-nitrides, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the base fluid is selected from the group consisting of a drilling fluid, completion fluid, a production fluid, a servicing fluid, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the fluid further comprises an additional component that is different from the nanoparticles, wherein the additional component is selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, graphite, micro-nitrides, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein after the adding the nanoparticles to the base fluid, the base fluid has at least one property selected from the group consisting of a dielectric constant ranging from about 5 to about 10,000, an electrical conductivity ranging from about 1×

10<sup>−

6</sup> S/m to about 1 S/m, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of chemically-modified nanoparticles, covalently-modified nanoparticles, functionalized nanoparticles, and combinations thereof, wherein the modification and/or functionalization of the nanoparticles alters a characteristic of the nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of improving their dispersibility in a non-aqueous fluid, altering the electrical conductivity of the nanoparticles, and combinations thereof as compared with otherwise identical nanoparticles which have not been modified or functionalized.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the nanoparticles have a dimension no greater than 1000 nm.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the nanoparticles are functionalized nanoparticles having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a sulfonate, a sulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a thiosulfate, a succinate, a carboxylate, a hydroxyl, a glucoside, a ethoxylate, a propoxylate, a phosphate, an ethoxylate, an ether, an amine, an amide, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the nanoparticles are covalently-modified nanoparticles having at least one covalent modification selected from the group consisting of oxidation;

fluorination;

free radical additions;

addition of carbenes, nitrenes and other radicals;

arylamine attachment via diazonium chemistry; and

the like; and

combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the effective amount of nanoparticles in the fluid range from about 0.0001 wt % to about 10 wt %.

21. A method for modifying the electrical conductivity and the dielectric constant of a fluid, where the method comprises:

adding an effective amount of a nanoparticle blend to a non-aqueous fluid for improving the performance of a high-frequency downhole tool as compared to an otherwise identical fluid absent the nanoparticle blend, wherein non-aqueous fluid is selected from the group consisting of a brine-in-oil emulsion, or a water-in-oil emulsion and combinations thereof; and

wherein the nanoparticle blend comprises nanoparticles and an additional component;

wherein the nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of graphene, graphene platelets, graphene oxide, nanorods, nanoplatelets, nanoclays, nano-titanium oxide platelets, nano-oxides, and combinations thereof;

wherein the additional component is different from the nanoparticles and is selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, graphite, micro-nitrides, and combinations thereof;

wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of functionalized nanoparticles, chemically-modified nanoparticles, covalently modified nanoparticles, and combinations thereof; and

wherein a surfactant is present in the non-aqueous fluid in an amount effective to suspend the nanoparticle blend in the non-aqueous fluid; and

improving the performance of a high-frequency downhole tool as compared to an otherwise identical fluid absent the nanoparticle blend.