# US 6,596,670 B1 · Use of selected oleophilic ethers in water-based drilling fluids of the O/W emulsion type and corresponding drilling fluids with improved ecological acceptability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,596,670 B1 - Document ID: US6596670B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 08/025,915 - Filed: 1993-03-03 - Granted: 2003-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 1989-05-20 - Assignees: Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG; Baroid Limited - Inventors: Heinz Mueller; Claus-Peter Herold; Stephan von Tapavicza; Gerhard Stoll; Rainer Jeschke; Johann Friedrich Fues - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6596670B1 ## CPC - C09K 8/26: Oil-in-water emulsions - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract The use is disclosed of at least substantially water-insoluble ethers which are fluid and/or at least plastically deformable at working temperature and have flash points of at least 80° C., of mono- and/or polyfunctional alcohols of natural and/or synthetic origin or corresponding solutions of such ethers in ecologically acceptable water-insoluble oils as the dispersed oil phase of water-based O/W-emulsion drilling fluids which are suitable for the environmentally acceptable development of geological formations and which contain, if desired, insoluble, finely particulate weighting agents for the formation of water-based O/W-emulsion drilling muds and/or further additives, such as emulsifiers, fluid-loss additives, wetting agents, alkali reserves and/or auxiliary substances for the inhibition of drilled rock of high water-sensitivity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid suitable for the development of geological formations comprising an emulsifier, a continuous aqueous phase containing from about 5 to about 50% by weight of an oil phase dispersed in said aqueous phase, based on the weight of said oil phase and said aqueous phase, said oil phase consisting essentially of a substantially water-insoluble ether of a mono or polyfunctional alcohol which is fluid or at least plastically deformable at use temperature and has a flash point above 80° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said oil phase is present in an amount of from about 8 to about 40% by weight. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 further containing a a fluid-loss additive, b a weighting agent, c a viscosifier, and d an alkali reserve component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 further containing an oleophilic alcohol. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A water based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 further containing a water-insoluble ester oil of a monocarboxylic acid and mono-or polyfunctional alcohol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 5 wherein said ester oil is selected from the group consisting of (a) an ester of a C1-C5 monocarboxylic acid and a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 6 carbon atoms and said polyfunctional alcohol contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, (b) an ester of a C6-C16 aliphatically-saturated monocarboxylic acid and a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 6 carbon atoms and said polyfunctional alcohol contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and (c) an ester of a C16-C24 mono-or polyolefinically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and a monofunctional alcohol containing at least 6 carbon atoms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 6 wherein said component (c) is selected from (C1) an ester containing at least about 45% by weight of a di-or polyolefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid, and (C2) an ester containing less than about 35% by weight of a di-or polyolefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid and at least about 60% by weight of mono-olefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 5 containing up to about 10% by weight, based on the weight of said oil phase, of an oleophilic basic amine having limited solubility in water, is free from aromatic constituents, and has at least one long-chain hydrocarbon radical containing 8 to 36 carbon atoms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A water based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 having a pH of from about 7.5 to about 11. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said water-insoluble ether of a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol constitutes at least about 10% by weight of said oil phase. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said water-insoluble ether of a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol is free from aromatic constituents. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 4 carbon atoms and up to about 36 carbon atoms. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said oil phase contains a substantially water-insoluble polyalkylene glycol ether. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A water based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 13 wherein said glycol ether is derived from a polyol selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl diol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and a branched-chain diol having a higher oleophilic hydrocarbon radical in the molecule. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said oil phase has a pour point and setting point below about 0° C. and a flash point of at least about 100° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid as in claim 1 wherein said oil phase has a Brookfield (RVT) viscosity of up to about 2 million mPas at about 20 C. ### Claim 17 The process of developing a source of petroleum, natural gas or water by drilling, comprising drilling said source in the presence of a water-based, oil-in-water emulsion drilling fluid comprising an emulsifier, a continuous aqueous phase containing from about 5 to about 50% by weight of an oil phase dispersed in said aqueous phase, based on the weight of said oil phase and said aqueous phase, said oil phase consisting essentially of a substantially water-insoluble ether of a mono- or polyfunctional alcohol which is fluid or at least plastically deformable at use temperatures and has a flash point above about 80° C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said oil phase is present in an amount of from about 8 to about 40% by weight. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said drilling fluid further contains a a fluid-loss additive, b a weighting agent, c a viscosifier, and d an alkali reserve component. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said drilling fluid further contains an oleophilic alcohol. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said drilling fluid further contains a water-insoluble ester oil of a monocarboxylic acid and a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The process as in claim 21 wherein said ester oil is selected from the group consisting of (a) an ester of a C1-C5 monocarboxylic acid and a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 6 carbon atoms and said polyfunctional alcohol contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, (b) an ester of a C6-C16 aliphatically-saturated monocarboxylic acid and a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 6 carbon atoms and said polyfunctional alcohol contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and (c) an ester of a C16-C24 mono-or polyolefinically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and a monofunctional alcohol containing at least 6 carbon atoms. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The process as in claim 22 wherein said component (c) is selected from (C1) an ester containing at least about 45% by weight of a di-or polyolefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid, and (C2) an ester containing less than about 35% by weight of a di-or polyolefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid, and at least about 60% by weight of mono-olefinically unsaturated C16-C24 monocarboxylic acid. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The process as in claim 21 wherein said drilling fluid contains up to about 10% by weight, based on the weight of said oil phase, of an oleophilic basic amine having limited solubility in water, is free from aromatic constituents, and has at least one long-chain hydrocarbon radical containing 8 to 36 carbon atoms. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said drilling fluid has a pH of from about 7.5 to about 11. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said water-insoluble ether of a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol constitutes at least about 10% by weight of said oil phase. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said water-insoluble ether of a mono-or polyfunctional alcohol is free from aromatic constituents. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said monofunctional alcohol contains at least 4 carbon atoms and up to about 36 carbon atoms. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said oil phase contains a substantially water-insoluble polyalkylene glycol ether. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The process as in claim 29 wherein said glycol ether is derived from a polyol selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl diol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and a branched-chain diol having a higher oleophilic hydrocarbon radical in the molecule. ### Claim 31 (depends on 17) The process as claim 17 wherein said oil phase has a pour point and setting point below about 0° C. and a flash point of at least about 100° C. ### Claim 32 (depends on 17) The process as in claim 17 wherein said oil phase has a Brookfield (RVT) visocisity of up to about 2 million mPas at about 20° C.