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US 6,787,505 B1Granted
Electrically conductive non-aqueous wellbore fluids
AssigneeM-I L.L.C.
InventorsGeoffrey Maitland, Christopher Sawdon, Mostafa Tehrani
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AssigneeM-I L.L.C.
InventorsGeoffrey Maitland, Christopher Sawdon, Mostafa Tehrani
Estimating the term…
A wellbore fluid having a non-aqueous continuous liquid phase that exhibits an electrical conductivity of not less than 10 μS m−1 at 1 kHz comprises a polar organic liquid (POL) which exhibits a dielectric constant of at least about 5.0 and a Hildebrand Solubility Parameter of at least about 17 (J cm−3)1/2. Oils or other organic liquids (OL) known to be suitable as the continuous liquid phase of wellbore fluids, may be used in admixture with POL component. Certain inorganic salts, organic bases, quaternary ammonium salts or hydroxides (the dissolved component, DC), display sufficient solubility (and current carrying abilities) in POL, OL or in mixtures of liquid (POL) and liquid (OL) to further improve the electrical conductivity of the mixture. The wellbore fluid can be used for providing enhanced information from electrical logging tools, measurement while drilling, logging while drilling, geosteering and the like.
A wellbore fluid of the water-in-oil emulsion type useful for electrical well-logging comprising a discontinuous aqueous or brine phase, solids, and having a non-aqueous continuous liquid phase that comprises a polar organic liquid POL which exhibits a dielectric constant of at least about 5.0 and a Hildebrand Solubility Parameter of at least about 17 (J cm−3)1/2 so that the liquid phase exhibits an electrical conductivity of not less than 10 μS m−1 at 1 kHz, and wherein it further comprises a dispersion in the wellbore fluid of finely divided particles of an electrically conducting solid insoluble in the organic liquid or water, and wherein the finely divided electrically conducting solid is selected from the group consisting of metals;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.