Drilling fluids
AssigneeHuntsman Petrochemical Corporation
InventorsHoward P. Klein, Chris E. Godinich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Drilling fluid additives that act to control clay swelling in drilled formations without adversely effecting the properties of the drilling fluid. The drilling fluid additives preferably comprise a polyether amine, a polyether amine derivative, or mixtures thereof Drilling fluids that comprise such drilling fluid additives and a method of reducing clay swelling in drilled formations are also disclosed.
Claims29
A drilling fluid for use in drilling wells through a formation containing a clay that swells in the presence of water, the drilling fluid comprising:
- (a) an aqueous based continuous phase;
- (b) a weight material;
- and
- (c) a clay hydration inhibition agent that comprises a polyether amine with the following formula:
- H2N—X—[OCH2CH2]x—[OCH2CH(CH3)]y—NH2
- wherein X is a straight or branched chain aliphatic with less than about 5 carbon atoms;
- x is number greater than 0 to about 15;
- and y is a number from 0 to about 15.
A drilling fluid for use in drilling wells through a formation containing a clay that swells in the presence of water, the drilling fluid comprising:
- (a) an aqueous based continuous phase;
- (b) a weight material;
- and
- (c) a clay hydration inhibition agent that comprises a mixture of:
- (i) a polyether amine with the following formula:
- H2N—X—[OCH2CH2]x—[OCH2CH(CH3)]y—NH2 (I)
- wherein X is a straight or branched chain aliphatic with less than about 5 carbon atoms;
- x is number from 0 to about 15;
- and y is a number from 0 to about 15, and
- (ii) a polyether amine derivative comprising 4,13-diaza-18-crown-6, hexaethyleneglygol triamine;
- an oligomeric triethyleneglycol diamine with the following average structure:
- H2N—(CH2CH2—[OCH2CH2]2—NH)x—H (II)
- where x varies from about 1 to about 4;
- oligomeric triethyleneglycol diamines with the following general formula:
- H2N—(CH2CH2—[OCH2CH2]2—NH)x—H (III)
- where x is an integer from about 2 to about 5;
- branched polyether diamine derivatives with the following formula:
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- and mixtures thereof.
A method of reducing the swelling of clay encountered during the drilling of a subterranean well, the method comprising the step of circulating in the subterranean well a drilling fluid comprising:
- (a) an aqueous based continuous phase;
- (b) a weight material;
- and
- (c) a clay hydration inhibition agent that comprises a polyether amine with the following formula:
- H2N—X—[OCH2CH2]x—[OCH2CH(CH3)]y—NH2
- wherein X is a straight or branched chain aliphatic with less than about 5 carbon atoms;
- x is number greater than 0 to about 15;
- and y is a number from 0 to about 15;
- wherein the clay hydration inhibition agent is present in sufficient concentration to reduce the swelling of the clay.
A clay hydration inhibition agent comprising:
- (i) a polyether amine with the following formula:
- H2N—X—[OCH2CH2]x—[OCH2CH(CH3)]y—NH2 (I)
- wherein X is a straight or branched chain aliphatic with less than about 5 carbon atoms;
- x is number from 0 to about 15;
- and y is a number from 0 to about 15, and
- (ii) a polyether amine derivative comprising 4,13-diaza-18-crown-6, hexaethyleneglygol triamine;
- an oligomeric triethyleneglycol diamine with the following average structure:
- H2N—(CH2CH2—[OCH2CH2]2—NH)x—H (II)
- where x varies from about 1 to about 4;
- oligomeric triethyleneglycol diamines with the following general formula:
- H2N—(CH2CH2—[OCH2CH2]2—NH)x—H (III)
- where x is an integer from about 2 to about 5;
- branched polyether diamine derivatives with the following formula:
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- and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.