# US 11,078,397 B2 · Spacer fluid compositions, methods, and systems for aqueous based drilling mud removal

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- Number: US 11,078,397 B2
- Document ID: US11078397B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/439,006
- Filed: 2019-06-12
- Published: 2019-09-26
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-03
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Hussain AlBahrani; Abdullah Al-Yami; Vikrant Wagle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078397B2

## CPC

- C09K 8/24: Polymers
- C04B 7/527: {obtaining cements characterised by fineness, e.g. by multi-modal particle size distribution}
- C04B 14/06: Quartz; Sand
- C04B 24/02: Alcohols; Phenols; Ethers
- C04B 24/026: {Fatty alcohols}
- C04B 24/085: {Higher fatty acids}
- C04B 28/02: containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
- C04B 28/04: Portland cements
- C04B 28/08: Slag cements
- C04B 38/02: by adding chemical blowing agents
- C09K 8/032: {Inorganic additives}
- C09K 8/035: Organic additives
- C09K 8/04: Aqueous well-drilling compositions
- C09K 8/08: containing natural organic compounds, e.g. polysaccharides, or derivatives thereof
- C09K 8/20: Natural organic compounds or derivatives thereof, e.g. polysaccharides or lignin derivatives
- C09K 8/22: Synthetic organic compounds
- C09K 8/32: Non-aqueous well-drilling compositions, e.g. oil-based
- C09K 8/36: Water-in-oil emulsions
- C09K 8/40: Spacer compositions, e.g. compositions used to separate well-drilling from cementing masses
- C09K 8/424: {using "spacer" compositions}
- C09K 8/46: containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
- C09K 8/467: containing additives for specific purposes
- C09K 8/48: Density increasing or weighting additives
- C09K 8/487: Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss
- C09K 8/506: containing organic compounds
- C09K 8/508: macromolecular compounds {(C09K8/512 takes precedence)}
- C09K 8/74: combined with additives added for specific purposes
- C09K 23/018: {Mixtures of two or more different organic oxygen-containing compounds}
- C09K 23/38: Alcohols, e.g. oxidation products of paraffins
- C09K 23/42: Ethers, e.g. polyglycol ethers of alcohols or phenols
- C10M 105/18: Ethers, e.g. epoxides
- C10M 105/62: containing hydroxy groups
- C10M 107/34: Polyoxyalkylenes
- C10M 111/04: at least one of them being a macromolecular organic compound
- C10M 173/00: Lubricating compositions containing more than 10% water
- C10M 173/02: not containing mineral or fatty oils
- 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)}
- E21B 21/003: {Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138)}
- E21B 33/14: for cementing casings into boreholes
- E21B 43/25: Methods for stimulating production {(by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003)}
- C04B 2103/40: Surface-active agents, dispersants
- C04B 2103/46: Water-loss or fluid-loss reducers, hygroscopic or hydrophilic agents, water retention agents
- C04B 2111/00068: {Mortar or concrete mixtures with an unusual water/cement ratio}
- C04B 2201/20: for the density
- C09K 8/03: Specific additives for general use in well-drilling compositions
- C09K 8/28: containing organic additives
- C09K 8/514: of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose (C09K8/512 takes precedence)
- C09K 2208/12: Swell inhibition, i.e. using additives to drilling or well treatment fluids for inhibiting clay or shale swelling or disintegrating
- C09K 2208/34: Lubricant additives
- C10M 2201/062: Oxides; Hydroxides; Carbonates or bicarbonates
- C10M 2201/08: Inorganic acids or salts thereof
- C10M 2201/103: Clays; Mica; Zeolites
- C10M 2207/003: used as base material
- C10M 2207/046: Hydroxy ethers
- C10M 2209/104: of alkylene oxides containing two carbon atoms only
- C10M 2209/1045: used as base material
- C10M 2209/108: etherified
- C10M 2215/042: containing hydroxy groups; Alkoxylated derivatives thereof
- C10M 2215/08: Amides [having hydrocarbon substituents containing less than thirty carbon atoms]
- C10M 2215/265: used as base material
- C10M 2215/28: Amides; Imides
- C10M 2217/044: Polyamides
- C10N 2020/017: {Specific gravity or density}
- C10N 2020/02: Viscosity; Viscosity index
- C10N 2020/04: Molecular weight; Molecular weight distribution
- C10N 2030/06: Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
- C10N 2040/22: with essential removal of material {, e.g. cutting, grinding or drilling}
- C10N 2040/40: {Generators or electric motors in oil or gas winning field}
- C10N 2050/013: {Water-in-oil}
- E21B 21/00: Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor (freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03)
- Y02W 30/91: Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

Spacer fluids include an emulsion, a surfactant package, and at least one additive that modifies the rheology of the spacer fluid, the density of the spacer fluid, or both. The emulsion may include an aqueous external phase and a hydrocarbon-based internal phase. The surfactant package may include one or more surfactants. The surfactant package may also include a surfactant having the general structure R—(OCH2CH2)9—OH, where R is a hydrocarbyl having 12 carbon atoms, 13 carbon atoms, or 14 carbon atoms. The spacer fluid may contain at least 4.25 pounds of R—(OCH2CH2)9—OH per barrel of the spacer fluid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spacer fluid comprising:
an emulsion comprising an aqueous external phase and a hydrocarbon-based internal phase;
a surfactant package comprising one or more surfactants, where the surfactant package comprises a surfactant having the chemical structure R—(OC2H4)9—OH, where R is a hydrocarbyl having 12 to 14 carbon atoms, and where the surfactant is present in a concentration of at least 4.25 pounds per barrel of spacer fluid; and
at least one additive that modifies the rheology of the spacer fluid, the density of the spacer fluid, or both.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the surfactant package has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value from 13 to 15.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid has a yield point from 10 lbf/100 ft2 to 50 lbf/100 ft2 as measured by American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 13B-1.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid has a yield point from 10 lbf/100 ft2 and 25 lbf/100 ft2 as measured by American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 13B-1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid has a density from 62.5 pcf to 160 pcf.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid has a density from 72.0 pcf to 87.5 pcf.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the hydrocarbon-based internal phase comprises one or more of safra oil, diesel, mineral oil, paraffin oil, ben oil, marula oil, castor oil, palm oil, copra oil, jojoba oil, tung oil, or other oils naturally derived from plants or animals.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid comprises from 140 pounds to 300 pounds of aqueous external phase per barrel of spacer fluid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the spacer fluid comprises from 4.25 pounds to 21 pounds of surfactant package per barrel of spacer fluid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, in which the at least one additive comprises one or more of polysaccharides, polyacrylamides, minerals, defoaming agents, BaSO4, CaCO3, Fe2O3, FeCO3, FeTiO, bentonite, xanthan gum polymer, polyanionic cellulose.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, where R is a hydrocarbyl having 12 carbon atoms.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, where R is a hydrocarbyl having 13 carbon atoms.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The spacer fluid of claim 1, where R is a hydrocarbyl having 14 carbon atoms.