Drill Cuttings Re-Injection
OwnerRamesh Varadaraj, Shannon K. Stocksinventors
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Abstract
A method for re-injecting formation solids into a subsurface formation includes obtaining a volume of solid particles from drilling returns, and then obtaining an aqueous operations fluid comprising at least one surfactant. Mixing a volume of the operations fluid with the volume of solid particles to form a slurry which is injected into a disposal well which includes a NAF filter cake. Then injecting the slurry into one or more fractures formed in the subsurface formation such that the slurry contacts the NAF filter cake en route to the one or more fractures.
Claims24
A method for re-injecting drill cuttings into a subsurface formation, comprising:
- obtaining a volume of solid particles from drilling returns;
- obtaining an aqueous operations fluid comprising at least one surfactant;
- mixing a volume of the operations fluid with the volume of solid particles, thereby forming a slurry;
- pumping the slurry into a disposal well, wherein the disposal well includes a NAF filter cake;
- injecting the slurry into one or more fractures formed in the subsurface formation such that the slurry contacts the NAF filter cake en route to the one or more fractures.
A method for re-injecting drill cuttings into a subsurface formation, comprising:
- obtaining a volume of solid particles from drilling returns;
- obtaining an aqueous operations fluid comprising at least one surfactant;
- pumping a volume of the aqueous operations fluid into a disposal well in order to remediate a NAF filter cake residing alone a borehole of the disposal well;
- preparing a slurry of aqueous fluid with the volume of solid particles;
- pumping the slurry into the disposal well, wherein the disposal well includes a NAF filter cake;
- injecting the slurry into one or more fractures formed in the subsurface formation.
The method of claim 16, wherein the surfactant is an alkyl acid surfactant, an organo-anionic surfactant, or mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.