Shale hydration inhibition agent and method of use
US7572756B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 7, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 11, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 7, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC09K2208/12
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A water-base fluid for use in drilling, cementing, workover, fracturing and abandonment of subterranean wells through a formation containing shale which swells in the presence of water. In one illustrative embodiment, the drilling fluid is composed of an aqueous based continuous phase, a weighting agent, and a shale hydration inhibition agent. The shale hydration inhibition agent should have the general formula:in which R and R′ independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl, and X has a value from 1 to 6. The shale hydration inhibition agent is present in sufficient concentration to substantially reduce the swelling of shale drilling cuttings upon contact with the drilling fluid. The drilling fluid may be formulated to include a wide variety of components of aqueous based drilling fluids, such as weighting agents, fluid loss control agents, suspending agents, viscosifying agents, rheology control agents, as well as other compounds and materials known to one of skill in the art. The fluids may also be used in fracturing and the disposal by reinjection of drilling cutting into a selected subterranean disposal formation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.