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US 9,435,198 B2Granted
Maintaining shale stability by pore plugging
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsMartin E. Chenevert, Mukul M. Sharma
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Abstract
Compositions and methods for improving wellbores stability of a hydrocarbon bearing shale formation using nanoparticles to decrease swelling and plug pore throats.
Claims11
A method for drilling effectively through unconsolidated shales which comprises the steps of:
- providing a shale formation selected from Arco China, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, Atoka, Gumbo, Wolfcamp, Wellington or Mancos;
- providing a drilling system to drill into the shale formation;
- adding an aqueous drilling fluid to the drilling system, wherein the aqueous drilling fluid comprises an aqueous continuous phase and one or more nanoparticles,
- wherein the one or more nanoparticles comprise between about 5 and about 45 weight percent nanoparticles in a size range of between about 5 and 500 nanometer and
- stabilizing the shale formation with the aqueous drilling fluid.
2 more elements
A method of increasing shale formation stability with a water-based drilling fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a shale formation selected from Arco China, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, Atoka, Gumbo, Wolfcamp, Wellington or Mancos;
- delivering the water-based drilling fluid to the shale formation, wherein the water-based drilling fluid comprises an aqueous continuous phase and a slug of nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of silica nanoparticles, aluminum nanoparticles, iron nanoparticles, titanium nanoparticles or other metal oxides nanoparticles and hydroxides nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise a size range of between 1 and 500 nanometer range and are present in a weight percent from 5 to 40 weight percent nanoparticles in a drilling mud or from 1 to 41 weight percent of the aqueous phase to stabilize the shale formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.