Drilling fluid containing a surfactant having a high boiling point and a long chain tail group
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorJames V. Fisk, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to an embodiment, an invert emulsion drilling fluid comprises: an external phase, wherein the external phase of the drilling fluid comprises a hydrocarbon liquid; an internal phase, wherein the internal phase of the drilling fluid comprises water; and a surfactant, wherein the surfactant: (A) comprises a hydrophobic tail group having a carbon chain length greater than or equal to 16; (B) has a boiling point greater than or equal to 400° F. (204.4° C.); and (C) is in at least a sufficient concentration such that the surfactant spontaneously forms reverse-micelles. According to another embodiment, a method of using the invert emulsion drilling fluid comprises: introducing the drilling fluid into a well.
Claims18
An invert emulsion drilling fluid comprising:
- an external phase, wherein the external phase of the drilling fluid comprises a hydrocarbon liquid;
- an internal phase, wherein the internal phase of the drilling fluid comprises water, and wherein the internal phase is in a concentration of about 2% to about 20% by volume of the external phase;
- a surfactant, wherein the surfactant:
- (A) comprises a hydrophobic tail group having a carbon chain length greater than or equal to 16, wherein the tail group is branched;
- (B) has a boiling point in the range of about 450° F. to about 700° F.;
- and
- (C) is in a concentration in the range of about 12 to about 25 pounds per barrel (about 39 to about 97 kilograms per cubic meter) of the drilling fluid,
- wherein the amount of branching of the tail group is selected such that the surfactant has a boiling point in the range of about 450° F. to about 700° F.;
- an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of calcium oleate, a linear octadecenamide, phosphatide, and combinations thereof;
- and
- a viscosifier selected from a group consisting of an aluminum-silicate organophilic clay, a magnesium-silicate organophilic clay, dimer and trimmer fatty acids, stearic acid, and combinations thereof.
An invert emulsion drilling fluid comprising:
- an external phase, wherein the external phase of the drilling fluid comprises a hydrocarbon liquid;
- an internal phase, wherein the internal phase of the drilling fluid comprises water, and wherein the internal phase is in a concentration of about 2% to about 20% by volume of the external phase;
- a surfactant, wherein the surfactant:
- (A) comprises a hydrophobic tail group having a carbon chain length greater than or equal to 16;
- (B) has a boiling point in the range of about 450° F. to about 700° F.;
- (C) is in a concentration in the range of about 15 to about 30 pounds per barrel (about 58 to about 116 kilograms per cubic meter) of the drilling fluid;
- and
- (D) comprises a hydrophilic head group, wherein the hydrophilic head group comprises an amide, an imide, an ether, a polyethylene oxide, a quaternary amine, a phenol, or an allyl carboxylic acid functional group,
- wherein the hydrophilic head group, the hydrophobic tail group, or both the hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail of the surfactant is branched, and wherein the amount of branching, the chain length, or both the amount of branching and the chain length are selected such that the surfactant has a boiling point in the range of about 450° F. to about 700° F.;
- an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of calcium oleate, a linear octadecenamide, phosphatide, and combinations thereof;
- a thinner selected from a group consisting of sulfo fatty acid-sodium salt, sulfonic acid salt, fatty alcohols, and combination thereof;
- and
- a viscosifier selected from a group consisting of an aluminum-silicate organophilic clay, a magnesium-silicate organophilic clay, dimer and trimmer fatty acids, stearic acid, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.