Consolidating spacer fluids and methods of use

• US 8,505,630 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Chatterji, Jiten, Brenneis, D. Chad, Keys, Crystal L., Benkley, James R., Roddy, Craig W., Morgan, Ronnie G., Morgan, Rickey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US13/725,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20130112405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/291
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 12/04 Alkali metal or ammonium silicate cements ; Alkyl silicate cements; Silica sol cements; Soluble silicate cements alkali metal silicates per se, their preparation C01B33/32; ammonium silicates per se, their preparation C01C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/104 Bentonite, e.g. montmorillonite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/106 Kaolin
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/108 Shale, slate colliery shale C04B18/125
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/14 Minerals of vulcanic origin granite C04B14/048
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/18 Perlite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/368 Baryte
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/101 Burned rice husks or other burned vegetable material
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/146 Silica fume
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/162 Cement kiln dust; Lime kiln dust
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/22 Rubber , e.g. ground waste tires
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/40 Surface-active agents, dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/408 Dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/44 Thickening, gelling or viscosity increasing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/46 Water-loss or fluid-loss reducers, hygroscopic or hydrophilic agents, water retention agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/50 Defoamers, air detrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/61 Corrosion inhibitors
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00017 Aspects relating to the protection of the environment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/064 : of the alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/26 : obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/38 : Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/383 : Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/021 : Ash cements, e.g. fly ash cements fly ash as filler C04B18/08; Cements based on incineration residues, e.g. alkali-activated slags from waste incineration alkali-activated combustion residues as such C04B7/243; mixtures of the lime-pozzuolane type C04B28/18; Kiln dust cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 : Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/10 : by using foaming agents C04B38/02 takes precedenceor by using mechanical means, e.g. adding preformed foam
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 : Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 : Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/40 : Spacer compositions, e.g. compositions used to separate well-drilling from cementing masses
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/424 : using "spacer" compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/473 : Density reducing additives, e.g. for obtaining foamed cement compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/48 : Density increasing or weighting additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/487 : Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/601 : using spacer compositions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/002 : Down-hole drilling fluid separation systems containers comprising collecting means with a strainer E21B27/005; subsoil filtering E21B43/02; down-hole production separators E21B43/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 : Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 : Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 : Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

Disclosed are spacer fluids and methods of use in subterranean formations. Embodiments may include use of consolidating spacer fluids in displacement of drilling fluids from a well bore annulus.

Claims

1. A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

providing a spacer fluid comprising a kiln dust, wherein the spacer fluid has at least one property at well bore conditions, wherein the property is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft², (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi, (v) a zero gel time of about 8 hours or less, and (vi) a transition time of about 45 minutes or less;

using the spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus; and

allowing at least a portion of the spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus, and wherein the portion of the spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore to meet the property.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the drilling fluid comprises an oil-based drilling fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the kiln dust comprises cement kiln dust.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the kiln dust comprises lime kiln dust.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid comprises the kiln dust in an amount in a range of from about 1% to about 60% by weight of the spacer fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus after the spacer fluid, wherein the spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising running a bond log on the at least a portion of the spacer fluid in the well bore annulus to measure bonding of the spacer fluid to a pipe string in the well bore.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid is foamed and has a density in a range of from about 4 pounds per gallon to about 13 pounds per gallon.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a free water control additive, a lightweight additive, a foaming agent, a supplementary cementitious material, a weighting agent, a viscosifying agent, a fluid loss control agent, a lost circulation material, a filtration control additive, a dispersant, a defoamer, a corrosion inhibitor, a scale inhibitor, a formation conditioning agent, a water-wetting surfactant, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least one cementitious material selected from the group consisting of Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, micro-fine cement, slag, fly ash, rice husk ash, pumicite, gypsum, and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft² and/or a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 4 hours or less.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid consolidates to develop a static gel strength of about 500 lbf/100 ft² or more in a time from about 10 minutes to about 8 hours.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined well bore conditions comprise temperature and pressure.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus, wherein the spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid, and wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a transition time that is shorter than a transition time of the cement composition.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the spacer fluid has a transition time of about 20 minutes or less.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring consolidating properties of the spacer fluid in the well bore annulus.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer fluid comprises the kiln dust in an amount in a range of from about 80% to about 90% by weight of dry solids.

23. A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises a kiln dust; and

allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 4 hours or less, and wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft², (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the kiln dust comprises cement kiln dust.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a transition time that is shorter than a transition time of the cement composition.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 20 minutes or less.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to develop a static gel strength of about 500 lbf/100 ft² or more in a time from about 10 minutes to about 8 hours.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid is foamed and has a density in a range of from about 4 pounds per gallon to about 13 pounds per gallon.

34. The method of claim 23 further comprising measuring consolidating properties of the consolidating spacer fluid in the well bore annulus.

35. A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises a kiln dust; and

allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus, wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less, and wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft², (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the kiln dust comprises cement kiln dust.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the transition time of the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid is shorter than a transition time of the cement composition.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein the transition time of the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid is about 20 minutes or less.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to develop a static gel strength of about 500 lbf/100 ft² or more in a time from about 10 minutes to about 4 hours.

44. The method of claim 35 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid is foamed and has a density in a range of from about 4 pounds per gallon to about 13 pounds per gallon.

45. The method of claim 35 further comprising measuring consolidating properties of the consolidating spacer fluid in the well bore annulus.

46. A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

introducing a consolidating spacer fluid into the well bore annulus to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus; and

allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft², (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi;

wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises water a kiln dust, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof; and

wherein the portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 4 hours or less.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the drilling fluid comprises an oil-based drilling fluid.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the kiln dust and the kiln dust comprises cement kiln dust.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the kiln dust comprises lime kiln dust.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein the kiln dust is present in the consolidating spacer fluid in an amount in a range of from about 1% to about 60% by weight of the consolidating spacer fluid.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises the fly ash.

52. The method of claim 46 further comprising introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus after the consolidating spacer fluid, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid.

53. The method of claim 46 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid is foamed and has a density in a range of from about 4 pounds per gallon to about 13 pounds per gallon.

54. The method of claim 46 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less.

55. The method of claim 46 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 20 minutes or less.

56. The method of claim 46 further comprising measuring consolidating properties of the consolidating spacer fluid in the well bore annulus.

57. A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus;

introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid; and

allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus, wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time that is shorter than a transition time of the cement composition.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the drilling fluid comprises an oil-based drilling fluid.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises cement kiln dust.

60. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises lime kiln dust.

61. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises a kiln dust.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises the kiln dust in an amount in a range of from about 1% to about 60% by weight of the spacer fluid.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises the kiln dust in an amount in a range of from about 80% to about 90% by weight of dry solids.

64. The method of claim 57 further comprising measuring consolidation properties of the consolidating spacer fluid in the well bore annulus.

65. The method of claim 57 further comprising running a bond log on the at least a portion of the spacer fluid in the well bore annulus to measure bonding of the consolidating spacer fluid to a pipe string in the well bore.

66. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid is foamed and has a density in a range of from about 4 pounds per gallon to about 13 pounds per gallon.

67. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a free water control additive, a lightweight additive, a foaming agent, a supplementary cementitious material, a weighting agent, a viscosifying agent, a fluid loss control agent, a lost circulation material, a filtration control additive, a dispersant, a defoamer, a corrosion inhibitor, a scale inhibitor, a formation conditioning agent, a water-wetting surfactant, and any combination thereof.

68. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof.

69. The method of claim 57 wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises at least one cementitious material selected from the group consisting of Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, micro-fine cement, slag, fly ash, rice husk ash, pumicite, gypsum, and any combination thereof.

70. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft² to about 500 lbf/100 ft² and/or a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals.

71. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi.

72. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates in the well bore annulus to have an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

73. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 8 hours or less.

74. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to develop a static gel strength of about 500 lbf/100 ft² or more in a time from about 10 minutes to about 8 hours.

75. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less.

76. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 20 minutes or less.