# US 10,480,278 B1 · Cement spacer fluid comprising quaternary surfactant, viscosifier, and proppant

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- Number: US 10,480,278 B1
- Document ID: US10480278B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/023,155
- Filed: 2018-06-29
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29
- Assignees: Baker Hughes, A Ge Company, LLC
- Applicants: Thomas S. Sodhi; Shannon E. Bryant
- Inventors: Thomas S. Sodhi; Shannon E. Bryant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480278B1

## CPC

- E21B 33/13: Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
- C09K 8/40: Spacer compositions, e.g. compositions used to separate well-drilling from cementing masses
- C09K 8/424: {using "spacer" compositions}
- C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
- C09K 2208/06: Structured surfactants, i.e. well drilling or treating fluids with a lamellar or spherulitic phase
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A method of cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation comprises: injecting into the wellbore a cement spacer fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a quaternary surfactant, a viscosifier, and a proppant; injecting a cement slurry into the wellbore; and allowing the cement slurry to set.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
injecting into the wellbore a cement spacer fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a quaternary surfactant, a viscosifier, and a proppant;
injecting a cement slurry into the wellbore; and
allowing the cement slurry to set,
wherein the carrier fluid comprises water;
the proppant comprises ceramic particles, sand, a nut shell, gravel, glass, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
the quaternary surfactant has a cation of R1 R2 R3 R4N+ and an anion, wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are each independently a straight or branched C1-30 alkyl group, a C7-30 alkylbenzyl group, a C7-30 arylalkyl group, a straight or branched C3-30 alkenyl group, a C1-30 hydroxyalkyl group, a C7-30 hydroxyalkylbenzyl group, or a polyoxyalkylene group; and the anion comprises a halide, a perchlorate, a thiocyanate, a cyanate, a carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate, an alkyl sulfonate, PF6−, AsF6−, SbF6−, NO2−, NO3−, SO4−, or BX4−, wherein X is a halide;
the viscosifier comprises guar gums, guar derivatives, hydratable polysaccharides, xanthan gum, galactomannan gums, glucomannan gums, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, poly((meth)acrylic acid)s, poly((meth)acrylamides), copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylamide, C1-8 alkyl poly(meth)acrylates, clays, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing viscosifiers; and
the cement spacer fluid comprises about 30 to about 100 wt % of the carrier fluid, about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of the quaternary surfactant, about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of the viscosifier, and about 1 to about 65 wt % of the proppant, each based on the weight of water in the cement spacer fluid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein injecting the cement slurry is subsequent to injecting the cement spacer fluid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cement spacer fluid forms a gel after injected into the wellbore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cement spacer fluid prevent mixing of the cement slurry with a wellbore fluid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the wellbore fluid is a drilling fluid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising injecting the wellbore fluid prior to injecting the cement spacer fluid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier fluid is water or a brine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a straight or branched C1-20 alkyl group or a C1-20 hydroxyalkyl group.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is a C1-5 hydroxyalkyl group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cement slurry sets forming a cement plug.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the viscosifier comprises dilutan.

### Claim 13

A cement spacer fluid comprising:
about 30 to about 100 wt % of an aqueous carrier comprising water;
about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of a quaternary surfactant having a cation of R1 R2 R3 R4N+ and an anion, wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a straight or branched C1-30 alkyl group, a C7-30 alkylbenzyl group, a C7-30 arylalkyl group, a straight or branched C3-30 alkenyl group, a C1-30 hydroxyalkyl group, a C7-30 hydroxyalkylbenzyl group, or a polyoxyalkylene group; and the anion comprises a halide, a perchlorate, a thiocyanate, a cyanate, a carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate, an alkyl sulfonate, PF6−, AsF6−, SbF6−, NO2−, NO3−, SO4−, or BX4−, X being a halide;
about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of a viscosifier comprising guar gums, guar derivatives, hydratable polysaccharides, xanthan gum, galactomannan gums, glucomannan gums, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, poly((meth)acrylic acid)s, poly((meth)acrylamides), copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylamide, C1-8 alkyl poly(meth)acrylates, or clays or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing viscosifiers; and
about 1 to about 65 wt % of a proppant,
each based on the weight of water in the cement spacer fluid, the proppant comprising ceramic particles, sand, a nut shell, gravel, glass, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The cement spacer fluid of claim 13, wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a straight or branched C1-20 alkyl group or a C1-20 hydroxyalkyl group.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The cement spacer fluid of claim 13, wherein at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is a C1-5 hydroxyalkyl group.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The cement spacer fluid of claim 13, wherein the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The cement spacer fluid of claim 13, wherein at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is a C1-5 hydroxyalkyl group, and the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The cement spacer fluid of claim 13, wherein the viscosifier comprises dilutan.