Lost circulation treatment fluids comprising pumice and associated methods

• US 9,505,972 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Iverson, Benjamin John, Pisklak, Thomas Jason, Morgan, Ronnie Glen, Agapiou, Kyriacos, Brothers, Lance Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): DiTrani, Angela M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahuja, Anuradha
• Application Number:
  US14/202,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20140190696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 14/062 Microsilica, e.g. colloïdal silica preparing microsilica slurries or suspensions C04B18/148
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/16 porous, e.g. pumice
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/12 Set accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/22 Set retarders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/30 Water reducers, plasticisers, air-entrainers, flow improvers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/408 Dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/0013 Boron compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/062 of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/124 Chlorides of ammonium or of the alkali or alkaline earth metals, e.g. calcium chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/147 Alkali-metal sulfates; Ammonium sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/148 Aluminium-sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/16 containing phosphorus in the anion, e.g. phosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/003 Phosphorus-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/04 Carboxylic acids; Salts, anhydrides or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/122 Hydroxy amines
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/163 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/18 Lignin sulfonic acid or derivatives thereof, e.g. sulfite lye
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/226 Sulfonated naphtalene-formaldehyde condensation products
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2647 containing polyether side chains
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/383 : Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/18 : containing mixtures of the silica-lime type
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0658 : Retarder inhibited mortars activated by the addition of accelerators or retarder-neutralising agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/487 : Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 : Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like

Abstract

Disclosed are lost circulation treatment fluids and methods of sealing lost circulation zones. Embodiments include a method of sealing a lost circulation zone. The method comprises circulating a lost circulation treatment fluid in a wellbore, wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid comprises: pumice, hydrated lime, a set retarder, and water; and allowing the lost circulation treatment fluid to set in the lost circulation zone to seal the lost circulation zone.

Claims

1. A method of sealing a lost circulation zone in a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, comprising:

circulating a lost circulation treatment fluid in the wellbore, wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid comprises;

pumice,

hydrated lime,

a set retarder, and

water; and

allowing at least one portion of the lost circulation treatment fluid to enter a lost circulation zone, wherein the lost circulation zone is a section of the subterranean formation adjacent to the wellbore; and

wherein at least a portion of the lost circulation treatment fluid that does not enter the lost circulation zone is circulated to a surface, wherein said surface is an entry point of the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and

allowing the at least one portion of the lost circulation treatment fluid which enters the lost circulation zone to set; and

wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid has a shear-thinning index of less than 1 as calculated by a Herschel-Bulkley model.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid further comprises aluminum sulfate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set retarder comprises at least one retarder selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphonic acid derivative, a lignosulfonate, a salt, an organic acid, a carboxymethylated hydroxyethylated cellulose, a synthetic co- or ter-polymer comprising sulfonate and carboxylic acid groups, and a borate compound.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid further comprises a dispersant selected from the group consisting of a sulfonated-formaldehyde-based dispersant, a polycarboxylated ether dispersant, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set retarder comprises a phosphonic acid derivative, and wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid further comprises a polycarboxylated ether dispersant.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the lost circulation treatment fluid for a time period of at least about 7 days prior to the step of circulating the lost circulation treatment fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid further comprises a cement set activator, and wherein the cement set activator comprises at least one cement set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, triethanolamine, sodium silicate, zinc formate, calcium acetate, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, nanosilica, sodium hexametaphosphate, and any combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid is circulated in the wellbore while at least one other treatment fluid is present in the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid is circulated in the wellbore while a drill string is disposed within the wellbore.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid has a density in the range of from about 8 lb/gal to about 17 lb/gal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation zone is a fracture.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid is circulated back to the surface with the presence of another fluid.

13. A system for sealing a lost circulation zone in a subterranean formation, the system comprising:

a lost circulation treatment fluid for placement into the lost circulation zone comprising;

water,

pumice,

hydrated lime, and

a set retarder;

wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid has a shear-thinning index of less than 1 as calculated by a Herschel-Bulkley model;

mixing equipment capable of mixing the lost circulation treatment fluid; and

pumping equipment capable of pumping the lost circulation treatment fluid into the lost circulation zone, wherein the lost circulation zone is a section of the subterranean formation adjacent to wellbore; and

wherein the pumping equipment is capable of circulating a portion of the lost circulation treatment fluid to a surface, wherein said surface is an entry point of the wellbore in the subterranean formation.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a drill string disposed in a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid is circulated back to the surface with the presence of another fluid.

16. A method of sealing a lost circulation zone in a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, comprising:

circulating a lost circulation treatment fluid in the wellbore, wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid comprises;

pumice,

hydrated lime,

a set retarder,

a dispersant selected from the group consisting of sulfonated-formaldehyde-based dispersant, a polycarboxylated ether dispersant, and any combination thereof,

water; and

wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid has a shear-thinning index of less than 1 as calculated by a Herschel-Bulkley model; and

allowing the lost circulation treatment fluid to set in the lost circulation zone to seal the lost circulation zone.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the set retarder comprises at least one retarder selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphonic acid derivative, a lignosulfonate, a salt, an organic acid, a carboxymethylated hydroxyethylated cellulose, a synthetic co- or ter-polymer comprising sulfonate and carboxylic acid groups, and a borate compound.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid further comprises a cement set activator, and wherein the cement set activator comprises at least one cement set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, triethanolamine, sodium silicate, zinc formate, calcium acetate, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, nanosilica, sodium hexametaphosphate, and any combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the lost circulation treatment fluid is circulated in the wellbore while a drill string is disposed within the wellbore.