Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid, and a method for the use thereof in drilling wellbores, with good rheological properties at high temperatures and pressures. One embodiment of the drilling fluids is free of organophilic clays and lignites, free of calcium chloride, and comprises glycerol in the internal phase, and a suspension agent comprising a combination of a fatty dimer diamine and a short chain acid, such as citric acid. In one embodiment, the base oil for the emulsion is a paraffin and/or mineral oil. The drilling fluids provide good rheological properties including good suspension of drill cuttings.

Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid, and a method for the use thereof in drilling wellbores, with good rheological properties at high temperatures and pressures. One embodiment of the drilling fluids is free of organophilic clays and lignites, free of calcium chloride, and comprises glycerol in the internal phase, and a suspension agent comprising a combination of a fatty dimer diamine and a short chain acid, such as citric acid. In one embodiment, the base oil for the emulsion is a paraffin and/or mineral oil. The drilling fluids provide good rheological properties including good suspension of drill cuttings.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean formation includes providing an invert emulsion fluid comprising an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations wherein one is divalent and another is trivalent; and drilling the subterranean formation with the drilling fluid. Invert emulsion drilling fluids include an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; sodium bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations.

Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid, and a method for the use thereof in drilling wellbores, with good rheological properties at high temperatures and pressures. One embodiment of the drilling fluids is free of organophilic clays and lignites, free of calcium chloride, and comprises glycerol in the internal phase, and a suspension agent comprising a combination of a fatty dimer diamine and a short chain acid, such as citric acid. In one embodiment, the base oil for the emulsion is a paraffin and/or mineral oil. The drilling fluids provide good rheological properties including good suspension of drill cuttings.

Abstract: A treatment fluid and method for simultaneously swelling an oil-swellable elastomer and breaking a filtercake in a well. The treatment fluid includes an emulsion comprising: (i) a continuous oil phase, wherein the oil phase comprises: (a) an oil; and (b) an emulsifier; and (ii) an internal aqueous phase, wherein the aqueous phase comprises: (a) water; and (b) a water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of a carboxylic acid; wherein the emulsion is stable to hydrolysis of the water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of the carboxylic acid. A method of treating a well includes the steps of: (A) forming the treatment fluid; and (B) introducing the treatment fluid into the portion of the wellbore, wherein: (i) a filtercake has been previously formed in the portion of the wellbore, wherein the filtercake comprises an acid-soluble or an acid-degradable material; and (ii) an oil-swellable elastomer has been previously deposited or positioned in the portion of the wellbore.

Abstract: Well fluids and methods are provided that can be used for stabilizing a shale formation, especially during drilling of a well into or through a shale formation. The well fluids include: (i) a continuous water phase; (ii) a viscosity-increasing agent, wherein the viscosity-increasing agent comprises water-soluble hydrophilic polymer; (iii) a fluid loss control agent; and (iv) a cyclodextrin-based compound. The methods of drilling include the steps of: (A) introducing the well fluid into a zone of a subterranean formation; and (b) drilling the zone.

Abstract: A gravel packing fluid and method for brine-sensitive formations. The fluid comprises an invert oil emulsion compatible with oil based drilling fluids and having a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine. The fluid is capable of carrying gravel yet has a viscosity less than 100 cp, often eliminating the need for an emulsion breaker during flow-back of the fluid to the well surface after deposition of gravel in the well.

Abstract: Increasing the dispersed phase concentration in drilling fluids may decrease sag in the drilling fluids. The dispersed phase of a drilling fluid may be composed of solids (e.g., weighting agents) and emulsion droplets (for emulsified drilling fluids) dispersed in the continuous phase. For example, an exemplary drilling fluid may include a base fluid and a dispersed phase that includes at least one of: extremely low gravity solids, low gravity solids, high gravity solids, or emulsion droplets; wherein the drilling fluid has a density of about 5 pounds per gallon to about 25 pounds per gallon and has a disperse solids volume fraction greater than or equal to 0.35 and/or has a disperse phase volume fraction greater than or equal to 0.5.

Abstract: Increasing the dispersed phase concentration in drilling fluids may decrease sag in the drilling fluids. The dispersed phase of a drilling fluid may be composed of solids (e.g., weighting agents) and emulsion droplets (for emulsified drilling fluids) dispersed in the continuous phase. For example, an exemplary drilling fluid may include a base fluid and a dispersed phase that includes at least one of: extremely low gravity solids, low gravity solids, high gravity solids, or emulsion droplets; wherein the drilling fluid has a density of about 5 pounds per gallon to about 25 pounds per gallon and has a disperse solids volume fraction greater than or equal to 0.35 and/or has a disperse phase volume fraction greater than or equal to 0.5.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean formation includes providing an invert emulsion fluid comprising an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations wherein one is divalent and another is trivalent; and drilling the subterranean formation with the drilling fluid. Invert emulsion drilling fluids include an oleaginous continuous phase; an internal phase comprising water; sodium bentonite; and mixed metal layered hydroxides comprising hydroxide ions associated with at least two metal cations.

Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid employing as a suspension agent very fine sized fumed silica in combination with a primary viscosifier such as for example a fatty dimer diamine, and a method for the use thereof in drilling wellbores, with good rheological properties at high temperatures and pressures. In one embodiment the drilling fluid is free of organophilic clays and lignites and free of non-hydrophilic “low gravity solids,” and the fumed silica is a hydrophilic fumed silica, which provides enhanced suspension of drill cuttings without barite sag while maintaining good rheological properties at high temperatures and pressures.

Abstract: A treatment fluid and method for simultaneously swelling an oil-swellable elastomer and breaking a filtercake in a well. The treatment fluid includes an emulsion comprising: (i) a continuous oil phase, wherein the oil phase comprises: (a) an oil; and (b) an emulsifier; and (ii) an internal aqueous phase, wherein the aqueous phase comprises: (a) water; and (b) a water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of a carboxylic acid; wherein the emulsion is stable to hydrolysis of the water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of the carboxylic acid. A method of treating a well includes the steps of: (A) forming the treatment fluid; and (B) introducing the treatment fluid into the portion of the wellbore, wherein: (i) a filtercake has been previously formed in the portion of the wellbore, wherein the filtercake comprises an acid-soluble or an acid-degradable material; and (ii) an oil-swellable elastomer has been previously deposited or positioned in the portion of the wellbore.

Abstract: A gravel packing fluid and method for brine-sensitive formations. The fluid comprises an invert oil emulsion compatible with oil based drilling fluids and having a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine. The fluid is capable of carrying gravel yet has a viscosity less than 100 cp, often eliminating the need for an emulsion breaker during flow-back of the fluid to the well surface after deposition of gravel in the well.

Abstract: Well fluids and methods are provided that can be used for stabilizing a shale formation, especially during drilling of a well into or through a shale formation. The well fluids include: (i) a continuous water phase; (ii) a viscosity-increasing agent, wherein the viscosity-increasing agent comprises water-soluble hydrophilic polymer; (iii) a fluid loss control agent; and (iv) a cyclodextrin-based compound. The methods of drilling include the steps of: (A) introducing the well fluid into a zone of a subterranean formation; and (b) drilling the zone.

Abstract: A gravel packing fluid and method for brine-sensitive formations. The fluid comprises an invert oil emulsion compatible with oil based drilling fluids and having a suspension agent comprising polyurea and dimer diamine. The fluid is capable of carrying gravel yet has a viscosity less than 100 cp, often eliminating the need for an emulsion breaker during flow-back of the fluid to the well surface after deposition of gravel in the well.

Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid, and a method of drilling with such fluid, having improved rheology effected with addition of a fatty dimer diamine additive in the presence of little or no lime. The drilling fluids of the present invention exhibit similar yield points and gel strengths at temperatures ranging from about 40° F. to about 375° F. or higher and at pressures ranging from about 0 psi to about 13500 psi.

Abstract: A treatment fluid and method for simultaneously swelling an oil-swellable elastomer and breaking a filtercake in a well. The treatment fluid includes an emulsion comprising: (i) a continuous oil phase, wherein the oil phase comprises: (a) an oil; and (b) an emulsifier; and (ii) an internal aqueous phase, wherein the aqueous phase comprises: (a) water; and (b) a water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of a carboxylic acid; wherein the emulsion is stable to hydrolysis of the water-soluble hydrolyzable ester of the carboxylic acid. A method of treating a well includes the steps of: (A) forming the treatment fluid; and (B) introducing the treatment fluid into the portion of the wellbore, wherein: (i) a filtercake has been previously formed in the portion of the wellbore, wherein the filtercake comprises an acid-soluble or an acid-degradable material; and (ii) an oil-swellable elastomer has been previously deposited or positioned in the portion of the wellbore.

Abstract: Well fluids and methods are provided that can be used for stabilizing a shale formation, especially during drilling of a well into or through a shale formation. The well fluids include: (i) a continuous water phase; (ii) a viscosity-increasing agent, wherein the viscosity-increasing agent comprises water-soluble hydrophilic polymer; (iii) a fluid loss control agent; and (iv) a cyclodextrin-based compound. The methods of drilling include the steps of: (A) introducing the well fluid into a zone of a subterranean formation; and (b) drilling the zone.

Abstract: An invert emulsion drilling fluid, and a method of drilling with such fluid, having improved rheology at low mud weights and high temperatures. The improved rheology is effected with addition of hydrophobic amines, most preferably dimer diamines.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a formation/fluid interaction of a target formation and a target drilling fluid is described herein. The method may include training an artificial neural network using a training data set. The training data set may include a formation characteristic of a source formation and a fluid characteristic of a source drilling fluid and experimental data on source formation/fluid interaction. Once the artificial neural network is trained, a formation characteristic of the target formation and fluid characteristic of target drilling fluid may be input. The formation characteristic of the target formation may correspond to the formation characteristic of the source formation. The fluid characteristic of the target drilling fluid may correspond to the fluid characteristic of the source drilling fluid. A formation/fluid interaction of the target formation and the target drilling fluid may be determined using a value output by the artificial neural network.