# US 2014/0151061 A1 · Drilling composition, process for its preparation, and applications thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151061 A1 - Document ID: US20140151061A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/897,026 - Filed: 2013-05-17 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-24 - Assignees: Cognis Oleochemicals GmbH - Applicants: Cognis Oleochemicals GmbH - Inventors: Michael Fefer; Jun Liu; Heinz Mueller; Nadja Herzog; Diana Maeker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151061A1 ## CPC - C09K 8/36: Water-in-oil emulsions - C09K 8/18: characterised by the organic compounds - C09K 8/34: Organic liquids - E21B 7/00: Special methods or apparatus for drilling - E21B 10/00: Drill bits (specially adapted for deflecting the direction of boring {E21B7/064}; with means for collecting substances E21B27/00) - E21B 43/00: Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells (applicable only to water E03B) - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A drilling composition is provided. The composition includes: I) an organic phase comprising components: i. from about 20 wt. % to about 99.999 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one linear or branched, cyclic or non-cyclic, saturated hydrocarbon; ii. from about 0.001 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one ester; II) from 0 to about 50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of water or aqueous phase; III) from 0 to about 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of at least one additive, wherein the sum of the weight components I) to III) is 100 wt. %. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drilling composition comprising I) an organic phase comprising components i. from about 20 wt. % to about 99.999 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one linear or branched, cyclic or non-cyclic, saturated hydrocarbon, ii. from about 0.001 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one ester, II) from 0 to about 50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of water or aqueous phase, III) from 0 to about 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of at least one additive, wherein the sum of the weight components I) to III) is 100 wt. %. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hydrocarbon is at least one alkane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ester is at least one ester selected from the group consisting of esters formed from at least one C1 to C24 monocarboxylic acid with at least one mono-functional alcohol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is in the form of an emulsion, preferably in the form of a nanoemulsion or a microemulsion, preferably in the form of a water-in-oil emulsion with droplet sizes in the range from about 5 nm to about 1000 μm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additive is at least one additive selected from the group consisting of weighting agents, clays, fluid loss additives, pH modifiers, viscosity modifiers, filtration control agents, emulsifiers, salts, wetting agents, dispersants. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ester has a carbon chain distribution of the acid-derived component determined according to ISO 5508 with carbon numbers in the ranges of from 0 to 2.00% C6, from 3.00% to 10.00% C8, from 3.00% to 10.00% C10, from 50.00% to 94.00% C12, from 0 to 25.00% C14, from 0 to 5.00% C16 and from 0 to 1.00% C18. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ester has a carbon chain distribution of the acid-derived component determined according to ISO 5508 with carbon numbers in the ranges of from 0 to 2.00% C6, from 0 to 10.00% C8, from 0 to 10.00% C10, from 50.00% to 95.00% C12, from 5.00% to 35.00% C14, from 0 to 5.00% C16 and from 0 to 1.00% C18. ### Claim 8 A process for preparation of a drilling composition, comprising the steps: a) providing as component i. from about 20 wt. % to about 99.999 wt. %, based on the total amount of i. and ii., of at least one linear or branched, cyclic or non-cyclic, saturated hydrocarbon, b) providing as component ii. from about 0.001 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, based on the total amount of i. and ii., of at least one ester, wherein the sum of the weight amounts provided in a) and b) is 100 wt. %, c) combining the at least one hydrocarbon and the at least one ester. ### Claim 9 A process for preparation of a drilling composition, comprising the steps: A) preparation of an organic phase comprising components i. from about 20 wt. % to about 99.999 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one linear or branched, cyclic or non-cyclic, saturated hydrocarbon, ii. from about 0.001 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of components i. and ii., of at least one ester, B) preparation of an aqueous phase comprising from about 50 wt. % to 100 wt. % water, based on the total amount of aqueous phase, C) combination of the organic phase prepared in step A) with from 0 to 50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of the aqueous phase prepared in step B), and D) combination of at least one of the organic phase, the aqueous phase and the combination of the organic phase and the aqueous phase with from 0 to about 60 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, of at least one additive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9, further comprising the step E) homogenisation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A process according to claim 9, wherein the composition at the end of at least one of steps C), D) and E) is in the form of an emulsion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11, wherein the emulsion is a nanoemulsion or a microemulsion with droplet sizes in the range from 5 nm to 1000 μm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ester is at least one ester selected from the group consisting of esters formed from at least one C to C24 monocarboxylic acid with at least one monofunctional alcohol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ester has a carbon chain distribution of the acid-derived component determined according to ISO 5508 with carbon numbers in the ranges of from 0 to 2.00% C6, from 3.00% to 10.00% C8, from 3.00% to 10.00% C10, from 50.00% to 94.00% C12, from 0 to 25.00% C14, from 0 to 5.00% C16 and from 0 to 1.00% C18. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the at least one ester has a carbon chain distribution of the acid-derived component determined according to ISO 5508 with carbon numbers in the ranges of from 0 to 2.00% C6, from 0 to 10.00% C8, from 0 to 10.00% C10, from 50.00% to 95.00% C12, from 5.00% to 35.00% C14, from 0 to 5.00% C16. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) A drilling composition obtainable by a process according to claim 8 and having at least one of the properties: γ1) a plastic viscosity measured at 50° C. according to the herein described test method in the range from 15 to 75 mPa·s; γ2) a yield point measured at 50° C. according to the herein described test method in the range from 5 to 45 lb/100 ft2 (2.4 to 21.6 Pa); γ3) a gel strength measured at 50° C. according to the herein described test method in the range from 4 to 25 lb/100 ft2 (1.9 to 12 Pa). ### Claim 17 (depends on 1, 8) The use of a composition according to claim 1, or of a composition prepared according to claim 8, in or as a drilling fluid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1, 8) A drilling system comprising a drill head, a drill string, a reservoir for drilling composition and a drilling composition according to claim 1 or a drilling composition prepared according to claim 8. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1, 8) A process for making a borehole comprising the steps: a1) providing a composition according to claim 1 or a composition prepared according to claim 8; a2) drilling a hole in a subterranean formation; a3) circulating the composition provided in a1) at least partially in the hole at least partially while drilling. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1, 8) A process for conveying cuttings from a hole drilled in a subterranean formation, comprising the steps: b1) providing a composition according to claim 1 or a composition prepared according to claim 8, b2) circulating the composition provided in b1) at least partially in the hole. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The process according to claim 20, wherein the composition is circulated at least partially while drilling the hole. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1, 8) A process for treatment of a drill head comprising the steps: c1) providing a composition according to claim 1 or a composition prepared according to claim 8, c2) circulating the composition provided in c1) at least partially through the drill head at least partially while the drill head is operated in a subterranean formation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The process according to claim 22, wherein the treatment is at least one of cleaning, cooling and lubrication. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1, 8) A process for production of at least one of oil and gas, comprising process steps: d1) providing a composition according to claim 1 or a composition prepared according to claim 8, d2) drilling at least one hole in a subterranean formation while at least partially circulating the composition provided in d1) at least partially in the hole; d3) obtaining at least one of oil and gas from the subterranean formation at least partially by means of the at least one hole drilled in d2); d4) optionally, subjecting the at least one of oil and gas to at least one processing step selected from purifying, refining and treating.