Abstract: A process to substantially reduce fluid loss in which an appropriate amount of a non-flowing gel of sufficient strength is emplaced to substantially eliminate or reduce loss of the drilling fluid. The gel composition of the process includes: (1) a non-cellulose containing copolymer having vinyl phosphonate co-monomer units which may be incorporated into the polymer by copolymerization with the other co-monomer(s) comprising the polymer or by grafting upon an already existing polymer or co-polymer, (2) a crosslinking agent active upon the phosphonate groups, (3) a crosslinking initiator comprising a Bronsted Lowry base or Lewis base and (4) an aqueous solvent.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 5, 2003
Date of Patent:
August 29, 2006
Assignee:
M-I L.L.C.
Inventors:
Robert L. Horton, Bethicia Prasek, Frederick B. Growcock, John W. Vian, Catalin D. Ivan
Abstract: A method of improving the lubricity of an aqueous based drilling fluid composed of an aqueous base fluid, and a weighting agent. The method involves the addition of an effective amount of a phospholipid to substantially reduce the coefficient of friction when compared to the fluid absent the phospholipids. Preferably the phospholipids have the structure: in which R and R? are C6 to C25 hydrocarbon groups; and A is an anion to counter the cationic charge.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 9, 2004
Date of Patent:
August 22, 2006
Assignee:
M-I L.L.C.
Inventors:
Arvind D. Patel, Eric Davis, Steven Young, Emanuel Stamatakis