Converting drilling fluids to cementitious compositions
AssigneeHalliburton Company
InventorsDralen T. Terry, David D. Onan, Patty L. Totten, Bobby J. King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of drilling a well bore utilizing a circulating drilling fluid and subsequently disposing of the drilling fluid by converting it to a cementitious composition are provided. The methods basically comprise the steps of forming the drilling fluid with an aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume as a component thereof, drilling a well bore using the drilling fluid, activating the drilling fluid whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass and placing the set activated drilling fluid in one or more desired locations whereby it sets therein.
Claims20
A method of drilling a well bore utilizing a circulating drilling fluid and subsequently disposing of the drilling fluid comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming said drilling fluid with an aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume in an amount whereby the weight ratio of aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume to the total of other drilling fluid components therein is in the range of from about 25:75 to about 100:0, said aqueous suspension comprising condensed silica fume particles having diameters less than about 1 micrometer and water in a weight ratio of condensed silica fume to water in the range of from about 2:3 to about 3:2;
- (b) drilling said well bore using said drilling fluid;
- (c) converting said drilling fluid into a cementitious composition whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass by combining a set activator selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metal hydroxides and oxides and mixtures thereof therewith;
- and
- (d) placing said set activated cementitious drilling fluid composition in one or more desired locations whereby it sets into hard environmentally safe cementitious masses therein.
The method of claim wherein said aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume further includes a dispersing agent comprised of the condensation polymer product of acetone, formaldehyde and sodium sulfite present in said suspension in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of water in said suspension.
A method of drilling a well bore utilizing a circulating drilling fluid and subsequently disposing of the drilling fluid comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming said drilling fluid with an aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume in an amount whereby the weight ratio of aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume to the total of other drilling fluid components therein is in the range of from about 25:75 to about 100:0, said aqueous suspension comprising condensed silica fume particles having diameters less than about 1 micrometer and water in a weight ratio of condensed silica fume to water in the range of from about 2:3 to about 3:2;
- (b) drilling said well bore using said drilling fluid;
- (c) placing pipe in said well bore while said well bore contains said drilling fluid, said pipe being of a size such that an annular space is formed between said pipe and the walls of said well bore;
- (d) converting a first portion of said drilling fluid into a cementitious composition whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass by combining a set activator selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metal hydroxides and oxides and mixtures thereof therewith;
- (e) pumping said set activated cementitious first portion of said drilling fluid downwardly through the interior of said pipe and upwardly into said annulus between said pipe and the walls of said well bore whereby the remaining second portion of said drilling fluid in said well bore is displaced from said well bore and said set activated first portion of said drilling fluid is placed in said annulus;
- (f) permitting said set activated first portion of said drilling fluid to set into a hard cementitious mass in said annulus;
- (g) converting said second portion of said drilling fluid into a cementitious composition whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass by combining a set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide and mixtures thereof therewith;
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- (h) placing said set activated cementitious second portion of said drilling fluid in one or more desired locations whereby it sets into hard environmentally safe cementitious masses therein.
A method of drilling a well bore utilizing a circulating drilling fluid and subsequently disposing of the drilling fluid comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming said drilling fluid with an aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume as a component thereof in an amount whereby the weight ratio of aqueous suspension of condensed silica fume to the total of the other components of said drilling fluid is in the range of from about 25:75 to about 100:0, said aqueous suspension including condensed silica fume particles having diameters less than about 1 micrometer, a dispersing agent comprised of the condensation polymer product of acetone, formaldehyde and sodium sulfite and water wherein the weight ratio of condensed silica fume to water is in the range of from about 2:3 to about 3:2 and said dispersing agent is present in said suspension in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of said water therein;
- (b) drilling said well bore using said drilling fluid;
- (c) placing pipe in said well bore while said well bore contains said drilling fluid, said pipe being of a size such that an annular space is formed between said pipe and the walls of said well bore;
- (d) combining a set delaying additive with a first portion of said drilling fluid selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of AMPS.RTM. and acrylic acid, tartaric acid, calcium lignosulfonate, ammonium lignosulfonate and mixtures of said additives;
- (e) converting said first portion of said drilling fluid into a cementitious composition whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass by combining a set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, strontium oxide and mixtures thereof therewith;
- (f) pumping said set activated cementitious first portion of said drilling fluid downwardly through the interior of said pipe and upwardly into said annulus between said pipe and the walls of said well bore whereby the remaining second portion of said drilling fluid in said well bore is displaced from said well bore and said set activated first portion of said drilling fluid is placed in said annulus;
- (g) permitting said set activated first portion of said drilling fluid to set into a hard cementitious mass in said annulus;
- (h) converting said second portion of said drilling fluid into a cementitious composition whereby it will subsequently set into a hard cementitious mass by combining a set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide and mixtures thereof therewith;
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- (i) placing said set activated cementitious second portion of said drilling fluid in one or more desired locations whereby it sets into hard environmentally safe cementitious masses therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.