Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110312857 | Drilling, Drill-In and Completion Fluids Containing Nanoparticles for Use in Oil and Gas Field Applications and Methods Related Thereto - Drilling, drill-in and completion fluids containing nanoparticles for use in hydrocarbon drilling and recovery processes and methods related thereto are provided. The fluids also include a dual acting shield agent that shields the nanoparticles and also acts as a viscosifier. The fluids can be used in various types of hydrocarbon drilling and recovery processes, such as drilling, drill in, completion, and the like. | 12-22-2011 |
20120071369 | Environment Friendly Base Fluid to Replace the Toxic Mineral Oil-Based Base Fluids - Processes for producing alkyl esters useful as base fluids in oil-based mud compositions. The alkyl esters are produced from raw material waste oil that include vegetable oil. The raw material waste oil can be obtained from the food industry, such as from food chains. The raw material waste oil is purified by removing impurities from it. The raw material waste oil is then esterified with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. The resulting alkyl ester products are then separated from triglycerides. The alkyl ester products are then washed and dried. | 03-22-2012 |
20120079888 | Method and Apparatus for Quality Control and Quality Assurance of Sized Bridging Materials Used in Drill-In Fluid Formulation - Methods and apparatuses are provided for testing and quantifying structural durability characteristics of bridging materials. Embodiments include sieving bridging materials to create uniform batches having particles within a predefined range. Embodiments further include selecting a batch and drying the batch, separating the dried batch into dry samples, and selecting a test sample having an initial mass. Embodiments include sealing the test sample, a volume of liquid, and a rod in a cylindrical testing cell and rotating the cylindrical testing cell containing the rod such that the rod rolls in relation to an inner wall of the cylindrical testing cell and applies force partially crushing the test sample. Embodiments further include sieving a resulting sample to create a durable sample having particles within the predefined range and drying the durable sample. Embodiments of methods further include measuring a mass of the dried durable sample to define a durable mass and comparing the durable mass to the initial mass. | 04-05-2012 |
20120108471 | Volcanic Ash-Based Drilling Mud to Overcome Drilling Challenges - Drilling mud compositions and related methods are provided as embodiments of the present invention. The drilling mud compositions are water-based and contain volcanic ash. The compositions and methods of the present invention provide improved properties relative to tolerance of high salt content, cement, lime, and temperatures. | 05-03-2012 |
20130065798 | WATER-BASED DRILLING FLUID COMPOSITION HAVING A MULTIFUNCTIONAL MUD ADDITIVE FOR REDUCING FLUID LOSS DURING DRILLING - Embodiments of the invention provide a drilling, drill-in, and completion water-based mud composition containing micro or nanoparticles for use in hydrocarbon drilling. The water-based drilling mud composition includes water present in an amount sufficient to maintain flowability of the water-based drilling mud composition, and drilling mud, which includes particles. The particles are selected from microparticles, nanoparticles, and combinations thereof. The water-based drilling mud composition also includes an effective amount of a multi-functional mud additive, which includes psyllium seed husk powder. The water-based drilling mud composition is operable to keep the particles stabilized and dispersed throughout the drilling mud composition in the absence of a surfactant. | 03-14-2013 |
20130081485 | AUTOMATED METHOD FOR QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF SIZED BRIDGING MATERIAL - A method for quality control and quality assurance of sized bridging materials rotates a control sample having a fluid portion and a solids portion of sized bridging materials in a tubular container for a predetermined period of time. The control sample is then analyzed in a laser particle size analyzer to determine a particle size distribution for the control sample. A wet grinding sample having a fluid portion and a solids portion of the sized bridging materials is then rotated in the tubular container with a loose cylinder rod for a predetermined time to simulate borehole conditions. The wet grinding sample is then analyzed in the laser particle size analyzer to determine a particle size distribution for the wet grinding sample. The two particle size distributions are used to define a shift factor that represents the relative strength of the sized bridging materials. | 04-04-2013 |
20130125677 | Classification Scheme of Sized Bridging Materials For Superior Drill-In Fluid Design - A classification scheme for classifying sized bridging materials is disclosed. The scheme identifies a durability metric for the sized bridging materials. The scheme then identifies a value range having a higher relative strength and a lower relative strength. The sized bridging materials may then be tested according to the durability metric and associated with a relative strength based on the durability metric determined during the test. | 05-23-2013 |
20130316936 | VOLCANIC ASH-BASED DRILLING MUD TO OVERCOME DRILLING CHALLENGES - Drilling mud compositions and related methods are provided as embodiments of the present invention. The drilling mud compositions are water-based and contain volcanic ash. The compositions and methods of the present invention provide improved properties relative to tolerance of high salt content, cement, lime, and temperatures. | 11-28-2013 |
20140174168 | METHOD FOR ASSESSING ABLATION MODULAI OF MUDCAKES TO PREDICT EASE OF MUDCAKE REMOVAL OR CLEANING EFFICIENCY OF CLEANING/WASHING/SPACER FLUIDS - Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining an ablation modulus of a mudcake on a wellbore wall. According to various embodiments of the invention, the method includes preparing a mudcake, forming a mudcake assemblage comprising the prepared mudcake, screen, and a filter paper, and submerging and securing the mudcake assemblage in a container filled with a fluid. The fluid includes one of a native fluid and a foreign fluid to the mudcake. The method further includes agitating the fluid for a plurality of time intervals, removing the mudcake assemblage from the container after expiration of each time interval, and drying the mudcake assemblage. Further, the method includes weighing the mudcake assemblage to determine an interval weight for each time interval, and determining the ablation modulus of the mudcake on the wellbore wall by graphically correlating the determined interval weights of the remaining mudcake in the mudcake assemblage as a function of time. The ablation modulus of the mudcake is defined by a slope of a tangent of an initial portion of the graphical correlation between the determine interval weights and cumulative time. | 06-26-2014 |
20140295559 | METHOD FOR PREDICTION OF INHIBITION DURABILITY INDEX OF SHALE INHIBITORS AND INHIBITIVE DRILLING MUD SYSTEMS - Embodiments of a method used for determination of inhibition durability index (IDI) of an inhibitive mud system can include multiple stages, with each stage including specific steps. The first stage can include a dispersion test that evaluates the inhibition effects of a stability inhibitor after exposing the test material to the inhibitor. The second stage can include a durability inhibition assessment, which includes assessing the longevity of the effect of the inhibitor. A third stage can be used to graph or otherwise evaluate the results of the second stage or the first and second stages. | 10-02-2014 |
20140353043 | Method of Conversion of a Drilling Mud to a Gel-Based Lost Circulation Material to Combat Lost Circulation During Continuous Drilling - A method of conversion of a water-based mud to a gel-based LCM quickly to control lost circulation in a lost circulation zone in a wellbore during continuous drilling with a drilling mud, the drilling mud comprises a volcanic ash, water, a de-foamer, a pH buffer, and a polymer. The method comprises the steps of entering the lost circulation zone, determining a lost circulation volumetric flow rate, metering a first amount of a binder into the drilling mud to create a binder containing mud, pumping the binder containing drilling mud into the wellbore, and suspending metering of the first amount of the binder to the drilling mud after a pre-defined regulating period of time effective to permit the binder containing drilling mud to create a gel-based LCM operable to alter the lost circulation zone. | 12-04-2014 |