Methods to Separate Brine From Invert Emulsions Used in Drilling and Completion Fluids
AssigneeCabot Corporation
InventorsLauren J. Kaminski, Siv K. Howard, Ravi Sharma, Lukasz Grzybek
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Abstract
Methods to separate or recover brine that is present in an invert emulsion are described. The brine is present as an internal phase in the invert emulsion. The brine can be a valuable component, such as an alkali metal formate, and separation and recovering of the brine from the invert emulsion permits the brine to be reused.
Claims53
A method to separate a brine that is present in an invert emulsion having a continuous oil phase, said method comprising
- a) combining said invert emulsion, an aqueous liquid, and at least one adsorbent together, in any order, to obtain a diluted liquid with said adsorbent, wherein said at least one adsorbent is capable of adsorbing oil used to form said continuous oil phase;
- b) mixing or circulating said diluted liquid and said adsorbent to obtain at least a continuous aqueous phase and said adsorbent;
- c) separating at least said adsorbent from said continuous aqueous phase once said adsorbent has at least partially adsorbed said oil to obtain recovered brine in the absence of any oil phase.
A method to separate a brine that is present in an invert emulsion having a continuous oil phase, said method comprising
- a) diluting said invert emulsion with an aqueous liquid to obtain a diluted liquid;
- b) mixing or circulating said diluted liquid to obtain at least a continuous aqueous phase and an oil phase;
- c) separating at least said continuous aqueous phase from said oil phase to obtain recovered brine.
A method to separate a brine that is present in an invert emulsion having a continuous oil phase, said method comprising
- a) combining said invert emulsion and at least one adsorbent together, in any order, to obtain a liquid with said adsorbent, wherein said at least one adsorbent is capable of adsorbing oil used to form said continuous oil phase;
- b) mixing or circulating said liquid and said adsorbent to obtain at least a continuous aqueous phase and said adsorbent;
- c) separating at least said adsorbent from said continuous aqueous phase once said adsorbent has at least partially adsorbed said oil to obtain recovered brine in the absence of any oil phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.