Lubricants that include alkyl esters and fatty acids
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMd Amanullah, Jothibasu Ramasamy, Ali Radhwan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more embodiments presently described are directed to lubricants and methods for making such lubricants. According to one embodiment, a lubricant suitable for use in a water-based drilling fluid may comprise one or more alkyl esters and a fatty acid blend comprising one or more medium-chain fatty acids. The one or more medium-chain fatty acids may be at least 50 weight percent (wt. %) of the fatty acid blend. The weight ratio of the one or more alkyl esters to the fatty acid blend may be from 1:1 to 3:1.
Claims15
A lubricant suitable for use in a water-based drilling fluid, the lubricant comprising:
- one or more alkyl esters;
- and
- a fatty acid blend comprising one or more medium-chain fatty acids, where the one or more medium-chain fatty acids are at least 50 wt. % of the fatty acid blend,
- where the one or more medium-chain fatty acids comprise at least caproic acid and caprylic acid,
- where the molar ratio of the caproic acid to caprylic acid is from 40:60 to 60:40, and
- where the weight ratio of the one or more alkyl esters to the fatty acid blend is from 1:1 to 3:1.
A method for making a drilling fluid lubricant, the method comprising:
- mixing one or more medium-chain fatty acids to make a liquid fatty acid blend, where the one or more medium-chain fatty acids comprise at least caproic acid and caprylic acid and the molar ratio of caproic acid to caprylic acid is from 40:60 to 60:40;
- mixing the liquid fatty acid blend with one or more alkyl esters to from a lubricant precursor;
- and
- heating the lubricant precursor to a temperature of at least 50° C. and mechanically agitating the lubricant precursor while heating to form the drilling fluid lubricant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.