Drilling fluids dispersants

Tests were conducted to compare the effect of KC1 and TKPP on the rheology of an unweighted (nondispersed) and a weighted (dispersed) drilling fluid. All fluids were mixed in an industry standard Hamilton Beach mixer. The rheology of each fluid was then measured in a Fann viscometer at 120°F at 300 rpm and 600 rpm. 

Use Stabilization of asphalt emulsions, ceramic binder and deflocculant, dye leveler and dispersant, drilling-fluid additive, precipitation of proteins, extender for phenolic plastics, special molded products, source of vanillin, phenol, and of a component of battery expanders. 

Drilling fluids are classified as to the nature of the continuous phase gas, water, oil, or synthetic. Within each classification are divisions based on composition or chemistry of the fluid or the dispersed phase. 

Water-Based Muds. About 85% of all drilling fluids are water-based systems. The types depend on the composition of the water phase (pH, ionic content, etc), viscosity builders (clays or polymers), and rheological control agents (deflocculants or dispersants (qv)). 

Starches, used first in the late 1930s for filtration control (71), are stiU in use in the 1990s. Com starch is most commonly used in the United States. Potato starch is also used in the United States but primarily in Europe and elsewhere. Both com and potato starches are pregelatinized before dispersion in water (72). The API specifications for drilling fluid starch are listed in Table 8 (73). 

The main use of these clays is to control, or adjust, viscosity in nonaqueous systems. Organoclays can be dispersed in nonaqueous fluids to modify the viscosity of the fluid so that the fluid exhibits non-Newtonian thixotropic behavior. Important segments of this area are drilling fluids, greases (79,80), lubricants, and oil-based paints. The most used commercial products in this area are dimethyl di (hydrogen a ted tallow) alkylammonium chloride [61789-80-8] dimethyl (hydrogen a ted tallow)aLkylbenzylammonium chloride [61789-72-8] and methyldi(hydrogenated tallow)aLkylbenzylammonium chloride [68391-01-5]. 

Mixtures containing sulfated castor oil were used to increase the lubricity of water base drilling fluids (123). Sulfated castor oil is also used in dishwashing compounds as a hand softener. A typical cleaning composition contains sodium dodecylben2ene sulfonate, sulfated castor oil, ethanol, and water. A sulfated derivative of castor oil is used as a dispersant for plaster of Paris, reducing the water needed to form a plastic slurry (124). Pesticide emulsions can be stabilized using ethoxylated castor oil (125). 

Emulsions. Emulsions are formed when one liquid is dispersed as small droplets in another liquid with which the dispersed liquid is immiscible. Mutually immiscible fluids, such as water and oil, can be emulsified by stirring. The suspending liquid is called the continuous phase, and the droplets are called the dispersed (or discontinuous) phase. There are two types of emulsions used in drilling fluids oil-in-water emulsions that have water as the continuous phase and oil as the dispersed phase, and water-in-oil emulsions that have oil as the continuous phase and water as the dispersed phase (invert emulsions). 

Dispersed Noninhibited Systems. Drilling fluid systems typically used to drill the upper hole sections are described as dispersed noninhibited systems. They would typically be formulated with freshwater and can often derive many of their properties from dispersed drilled solids or bentonite. They would not normally be weighted to above 12 Ib/gal and the temperature limitation would be in the range of 176-194°F. The flow properties are controlled by a deflocculant, or thinner, and the fluid loss is controlled by the addition of bentonite and low viscosity CMC derivatives. 

The chemical treatment methods reduce dispersability property, of drilling fluids through the increase of size of cuttings which improves separation and prevents the buildup of colloidal solids in the mud. These methods include ionic inhibition, cuttings encapsulation, oil phase inhibition (with oil-base muds), and flocculation. The mechanical solids removal methods are based on the principles presented in Table 4-55. 

Drilling fluids used in the upper hole sections are referred to as dispersed noninhibited systems. They are formulated from freshwater and may contain bentonite. The classification of bentonite-based muds is shown in Table 1-2. 

Polyethercyclicpolyols possess enhanced molecular properties and characteristics and permit the preparation of enhanced drilling fluids that inhibit the formation of gas hydrates prevent shale dispersion and reduce the swelling of the formation to enhance wellbore stability, reduce fluid loss, and reduce filter-cake thickness. Drilling muds incorporating the polyethercyclicpolyols are substitutes for oil-based muds in many applications [195-197,1906,1907]. Polyethercyclicpolyols are prepared by thermally condensing a polyol, for example, glycerol to oligomers and cyclic ethers. 

While drilling low-pressure reservoirs with nonconventional methods, it is conunon to use low-density dispersed systems, such as foam, to achieve underbalanced conditions. To choose an adequate foam formulation, not only the reservoir characteristics but also the foam properties need to be taken into account. Parameters such as stability of foam and interactions between rock-fluid and drilling fluid-formation fluid are among the properties to evaluate while designing the drilling fluid [13]. 

Uintaite is not easily water wet with most surfactants. Thus, stable dispersions of uintaite are often difficult to achieve, particularly in the presence of salts, calcium, solids and other drilling fluid contaminants and/or in the presence of diesel oil. The uintaite must be readily dispersible and must remain water wet otherwise it will coalesce and be separated from the drilling fluid, along with cuttings at the shale shaker or in the circulating pits. Surfactants and emulsifiers are often used with uintaite drilling mud additives. 

In addition, a fluid loss additive for oil-based drilling fluids, which consists of fatty acid compounds and lignite or humic acid, an oil-soluble or oil-dispersible amine or amine salt with phosphorie acid, or an aliphatic amide or hydroxyamide [392], has been described. 

Copolymers of mainly acrylic acid and 2% to 20% by weight of itaconic acid are described as fluid loss additives for aqueous drilling fluids [138]. The polymers have an average molecular weight between 100,000 and 500,000 Dalton and are water dispersible. The polymers are advantageous when used with muds containing soluble calcium and muds containing chloride ions, such as seawater muds. 

The major fields of application for dispersants include cement slurries, drilling fluids, oil spill-treating agents, and transport applications. 

Water-soluble polymers of allyloxybenzenesulfonate monomers can be used as dispersants in drilling fluids and in treating boiler waters in steamflooding and as plasticizers in cement slurries [1088,1089]. The preferable molecular weight range is 1000 to 500,000 Dalton. 

A dispersant that can be used in drilling fluids, spacer fluids, cement slurries, completion fluids, and mixtures of drilling fluids and cement slurries controls the rheologic properties of and enhances the filtrate control in these fluids. The dispersant consists of polymers derived from monomeric residues, including low-molecular-weight olefins that may be sulfonated or phosphonated, unsaturated dicarboxylic acids, ethylenically unsaturated anhydrides, unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids, vinyl alcohols and diols, and sulfonated or phosphonated styrene. The sulfonic acid, phosphonic acid, and carboxylic acid groups on the polymers may be present in neutralized form as alkali metal or ammonium salts [192,193]. 

A mixture of sulfonated styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer and polymers prepared from acrylic acid or acrylamide and their derivatives [759] are dispersants for drilling fluids. The rheologic characteristics of aqueous well drilling fluids are enhanced by incorporating into the fluids small amounts of sulfonated styrene-itaconic acid copolymers [761] and an acrylic acid or acrylamide polymer [755]. 

Phosphated, oxidized starch with a molecular weight of 1500 to 40,000 Dalton, with a carboxyl degree of substitution of 0.30 to 0.96, is useful as a dispersant for drilling fluids [926]. 

These humic acids are not dissolved because the pH of this slurry is in the range of 4 to 9. Small amounts of fulvic acids are formed, and these are soluble in the water of the slurry. The coal-derived humic acids find applications as drilling fluid dispersants and viscosity control agents, whereas the coal-derived fulvic acids may be used to produce plasticizers and petrochemicals. 

A nonpolluting dispersing agent for drilling fluids [217-219] has been described. The agent is based on polymers or copolymers of unsaturated acids, such as acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, with suitable counter ions. 

P. Bouchut, Y. Kensicher, and J. Rousset. Non-polluting dispersing agent for drilling fluids based on freshwater or salt water. Patent US 5099928, 1992. 

Drilling fluids (1-3) are often called drilling muds because of their appearance. This is due to the dispersed clays added to most... 

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