Consolidating spacer fluids and methods of use

A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

• using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises a kiln dust;
• and
• allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 4 hours or less, and wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft2 to about 500 lbf/100 ft2, (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

• using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises a kiln dust;
• and
• allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus, wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time of about 45 minutes or less, and wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid consolidates to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft2 to about 500 lbf/100 ft2, (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi.

A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

• introducing a consolidating spacer fluid into the well bore annulus to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus;
• and
• allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus to have at least one property selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) a yield point of from about 25 Pascals to about 250 Pascals, (ii) a static gel strength of from about 70 lbf/100 ft2 to about 500 lbf/100 ft2, (iii) a yield limit in compression from about 1 psi to about 2,000 psi, and (iv) an unconfined uniaxial compressive strength of from about 5 psi to about 10,000 psi;
• wherein the consolidating spacer fluid comprises water a kiln dust, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of gypsum, fly ash, bentonite, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium silicate, a hollow microsphere, gilsonite, perlite, a gas, an organic polymer, a biopolymer, latex, ground rubber, a surfactant, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, silica flour, fumed silica, nano-clay, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, rice husk ash, micro-fine cement, metakaolin, zeolite, shale, pumicite, Portland cement, Portland cement interground with pumice, barite, slag, lime, and any combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a zero gel time of about 4 hours or less.

A method of displacing a drilling fluid disposed in a well bore annulus, comprising:

• using a consolidating spacer fluid to displace at least a portion of the drilling fluid from the well bore annulus;
• introducing a cement composition into the well bore annulus, wherein the consolidating spacer fluid separates the cement composition from the drilling fluid;
• and
• allowing at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid to consolidate in the well bore annulus, wherein the at least a portion of the consolidating spacer fluid has a transition time that is shorter than a transition time of the cement composition.