Patent · US Expired

Drilling fluid and method

US4299710A · kind A · utility

59Cited by
10References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 30, 1975
Grant dateNov 10, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 30, 1995

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC08L3/00
  • WIPO fieldMacromolecular chemistry, polymers
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The application discloses a viscous aqueous alkaline drilling liquid (fluid) essentially free of clays, for drilling subterranean wells, and a method of drilling such wells. The fluid is circulated into and out of the well, to flush out drill cuttings. The alkaline composition comprises a combination of the thickeners (a) 10 to 90 parts by weight of an addition polymer of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, preferably in the form of a copolymer with another ethylenically unsaturated monomer, for example a copolymer of a major amount of methacrylic acid and a minor amount of ethyl acrylate, the polymer having a molecular weight of from 125,000 to 12,000,000 solubilized in the aqueous system by an alkali such as sodium carbonate, and (b) 10 to 90 parts by weight of a water soluble polysaccharide, or a water soluble derivative thereof ("polysaccharide" being used herein in a generic sense to include such derivatives) such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, the total amount of (a) plus (b) being 100 parts.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.