Method for Reducing Aqueous Content of Oil-Based Fluids
OwnerAhmadi Tehraniinventor
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Abstract
A method for reducing the aqueous content of oil-based drilling fluid includes contacting an invert emulsion wellbore fluid with a water absorbing polymer, interacting the water absorbing polymer with the wellbore fluid for a sufficient period of time so that the water absorbing polymer absorbs at least a portion of the aqueous fluid form the wellbore fluid; and separating the water absorbing polymer containing the absorbed water from the wellbore fluid.
Claims20
A method for removing aqueous fluid from a wellbore fluid, comprising:
- contacting the wellbore fluid with a water absorbing polymer, the wellbore fluid comprising:
- an invert emulsion;
- interacting the water absorbing polymer with the wellbore fluid so that the water absorbing polymer absorbs at least a portion of the aqueous fluid from the wellbore fluid;
- and
- separating the water absorbing polymer containing the absorbed aqueous fluid from the wellbore fluid.
A method for removing non-emulsified aqueous content from a wellbore fluid in situ, comprising:
- determining a design limit of the oil-to-water ratio for the wellbore fluid;
- feeding the wellbore fluid to the borehole, the wellbore fluid comprising:
- an invert emulsion;
- monitoring the oil-to-water ratio of the wellbore fluid;
- adding a water absorbing polymer when the oil/water ratio decreases below the design limit;
- allowing the water absorbing polymer to interact with the wellbore fluid so that the water absorbing polymer absorbs sufficient aqueous content to return the oil/water ratio above the design limit;
- and
- separating the water absorbing polymer containing the absorbed water from the wellbore fluid.
A method for removing emulsified aqueous content from an existing invert emulsion wellbore fluid, where the existing invert emulsion wellbore fluid comprises an existing oil-to-water ratio, comprising:
- determining a desired oil-to-water ratio for the existing invert emulsion wellbore fluid;
- adding a sufficient amount of water absorbing polymer to the existing wellbore fluid to adjust the existing oil-to-water ratio to the desired oil-to-water ratio;
- allowing the water absorbing polymer to interact with the existing wellbore fluid for a sufficient period of time so that the water absorbing polymer absorbs sufficient aqueous content to adjust the existing wellbore fluid to the desired oil-to-water ratio, thereby yielding an adjusted wellbore fluid;
- and
- separating the water absorbing polymer containing the absorbed aqueous content from the adjusted wellbore fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.