Clay inhibitors for drilling, fracturing, and other procedures

In a method of drilling a well wherein a water-based drilling fluid is circulated through a well bore as said well bore is being drilled, the improvement comprising said water-based drilling fluid including an inhibitor composition comprising:

• aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said inhibitor composition and
• diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said inhibitor composition.

In a method of drilling a well wherein a water-based drilling fluid is circulated through a well bore as said well bore is being drilled, the improvement comprising said water-based drilling fluid including an amount of an inhibitor composition effective to at least reduce clay swelling occurring in said well as said water-based drilling fluid is circulated through said well bore, wherein said inhibitor composition is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

In a method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising injecting a fracturing fluid into said subterranean formation, the improvement comprising said fracturing fluid including an inhibitor composition comprising:

• aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said inhibitor composition and
• diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said inhibitor composition.

In a method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising injecting a fracturing fluid into said subterranean formation, the improvement comprising said fracturing fluid including an amount of an inhibitor composition effective to a least reduce clay swelling occurring in said subterranean formation when said fracturing fluid is injected, wherein said inhibitor composition is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

In a method of treating a well or subterranean formation wherein a treatment fluid is injected into said well or said subterranean formation, the improvement comprising said treatment drilling fluid including an inhibitor composition comprising:

• aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said inhibitor composition and
• diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said inhibitor composition.

In a method of treating a well or subterranean formation wherein a treatment fluid is injected into said well or said subterranean formation, the improvement comprising said treatment fluid including an amount of an inhibitor composition effective to at least reduce clay swelling occurring in said well or said subterranean formation as said treatment fluid is injected, wherein said inhibitor composition is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.