Process for the facilitated waste disposal of working substances based on water-in-oil invert emulsions

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for facilitating the disposal of flowable and pumpable working fluids based on emulsifiers containing W/O invert emulsions--more particularly corresponding auxiliaries of the type used in geological exploration, such as oil-based w/o invert drilling muds--and for the simplified cleaning of solid surfaces soiled therewith, if desired using flowable spraying aids, the process being characterized in that, by selecting and adapting the emulsifiers/emulsifier systems to the oil phase of the invert emulsion, temperature-controlled phase inversion is achieved at temperatures below the in-use temperatures of the w/o invert emulsions, but above the freezing point of the aqueous phase and in that disposal and cleaning are carried out at temperatures in and/or below the phase inversion temperature range. The invention also relates to the use of this process for the cleaning and disposal of roc cuttings covered with residual drilling mud from geological exploration during and/or preferably before their on-shore or off-shore dumping

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.