Patent · US Expired

Biodegradable surfactant for invert emulsion drilling fluid

US6828279B2 · kind B2 · utility

65Cited by
33References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 10, 2001
Grant dateDec 7, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 26, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC09K8/36
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

An invert emulsion drilling fluid includes an oleaginous continuous phase; a non-oleaginous discontinuous phase; a biodegradable surfactant including a di-fatty acid ester of triglycerol; and a weighting agent. It is preferred that the fatty acid have the formula RCO2H in which R is an alkyl or alkenyl having 10 to 20 carbon atoms. The oleaginous fluid is selected from diesel oil, mineral oil, synthetic oil, ester oils, glycerides of fatty acids, aliphatic esters, aliphatic ethers, aliphatic acetals, or other such hydrocarbons and combinations of these and similar compounds. The non-oleaginous phase is selected from fresh water, sea water, brine, aqueous solutions containing water soluble organic salts, water soluble alcohols or water soluble glycols or combinations of these and similar compounds. The weighting agent is any suitable weighting agent and is preferably selected from water insoluble weighting agents such as barite, calcite, mullite, gallena, manganese oxides, iron oxides, or combinations of these or water soluble weighting agents such as water soluble salts of zinc, iron, barium, calcium or combinations of these and similar compounds.

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