Abstract: This disclosure relates to a fracturing fluid including an acrylamide-based copolymer, a graphene oxide additive, and a crosslinker, and methods of using the fracturing fluid to reduce fluid friction during treatment of a subterranean formation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an unfoldable device for controlling lost circulation in a target lost circulation zone in a borehole. The unfoldable device includes a sheet, a backbone, and a shell. The sheet has an unfolded state and a folded state. The backbone reinforces the sheet. The backbone includes a shape-memory material having an original state and a deformed state. The shell encapsulates the sheet in the folded state and the backbone in the deformed state. In some embodiments, the shell includes a degradable polymer that degrades in the borehole upon contact with a drilling fluid such that the sheet transitions to the unfolded state and the backbone transitions to the original state. The sheet in the unfolded state accumulates on a borehole wall at least partially covering an entrance to a macrochannel of the target lost circulation zone.

Abstract: A composition of matter including a mono-facial polymer-grafted graphene particle and an aqueous-based drilling fluid is provided. In the composition, a first side of the graphene particle has a grafted polymer. A method of lubricating a tool surface using the composition of matter is also provided. The method includes providing an aqueous-based drilling fluid, the aqueous-based drilling fluid having a mono-facial polymer-grafted graphene particle, and introducing the aqueous-based drilling fluid into a wellbore such that it contacts a tool surface to form a coated tool. A drilling tool having a mono-facial polymer-grafted graphene particle adhered to its surface is also provided.

Abstract: This document relates to methods for preventing or inhibiting the cracking or explosion of cement in an oil well using cement compositions that contain polyrotaxane additives. The cement compositions containing the polyrotaxane additives exhibit increased resiliency to cracking as compared to the same cement without the polyrotaxane additive.

Abstract: A quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of synthesizing a quaternary amine composition comprising the steps of reacting an alkoxylated dimer diamine with a methyl halogen, where the methyl halogen is selected from the group consisting of methyl chloride, methyl iodine, and combinations of the same; and allowing the reaction to proceed to produce the quaternary amine composition, the quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of treating a well comprising the steps of introducing an additive-containing well fluid to a well, where the additive-containing well fluid comprises a quaternary amine composition and a well fluid, allowing the additive-containing well fluid to interact with the well, and treating the well with the additive-containing fluid.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for a rheologically modified well fluid are provided. A method includes combining an amount of a synthetic functionalized additive with an intermediate well fluid composition to form a synthetic functionalized additive-containing well fluid composition, and subjecting the synthetic functionalized additive-containing well fluid composition to shear stress for a period of time such that the synthetic functionalized additive-containing well fluid composition is rheologically modified to produce the rheologically modified well fluid. The synthetic functionalized additive comprises a synthetic layered magnesium silicate that is covalently bonded to a functional group, and the intermediate well fluid composition comprises a water-based continuous phase.

Abstract: A drilling fluid composition comprising a base fluid, and a drag reducing agent including an ultra-high molecular weight branched block copolymer having the following structure, where monomer A is an anionic monomer, monomer B is a hydrophilic monomer, monomer C is an anionic monomer, monomer D is a crosslinker-divinyl monomer, and -SSCZ ground being a terminal RAFT agent.

Abstract: A quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of synthesizing a quaternary amine composition comprising the steps of reacting an alkoxylated dimer diamine with a methyl halogen, where the methyl halogen is selected from the group consisting of methyl chloride, methyl iodine, and combinations of the same; and allowing the reaction to proceed to produce the quaternary amine composition, the quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of treating a well comprising the steps of introducing an additive-containing well fluid to a well, where the additive-containing well fluid comprises a quaternary amine composition and a well fluid, allowing the additive-containing well fluid to interact with the well, and treating the well with the additive-containing fluid.

Abstract: A drilling fluid composition comprising a base fluid, and a viscosifier including an ultra-high molecular weight branched block copolymer having the following structure, where monomer A is an anionic monomer, monomer B is a hydrophilic monomer, monomer C is an anionic monomer, monomer D is a crosslinker-divinyl monomer, and —SSCZ ground being a terminal RAFT agent.

Abstract: A drilling fluid composition comprising a base fluid, and a shale inhibitor including an ultra-high molecular weight branched block copolymer having the following structure, where monomer A is an anionic monomer, monomer B is a hydrophilic monomer, monomer C is an anionic monomer, monomer D is a crosslinker-divinyl monomer, and -SSCZ ground being a terminal RAFT agent.

Abstract: A drilling fluid includes an oleaginous phase, a clay-based component, and an amphiphilic branched star polymer. The amphiphilic branched star polymer is a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C and hydrophobic monomer B and optionally hydrophilic monomer A. The crosslinked polymerized reaction product includes a plurality of homopolymer segments of hydrophobic monomer B interconnected via crosslinker C, a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophobic monomer B and hydrophilic monomer A interconnected via crosslinker C, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A drilling fluid includes an aqueous phase, a clay-based component, and an amphiphilic branched star polymer. The amphiphilic branched star polymer is a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C, hydrophobic monomer B, and hydrophilic monomer A. The crosslinked polymerized reaction product includes a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophobic monomer B and hydrophilic monomer A interconnected via crosslinker C.

Abstract: An amphiphilic branched star polymer drilling additive includes a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C, hydrophobic monomer B, and hydrophilic monomer A. The crosslinked polymerized reaction product includes a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophobic monomer B and hydrophilic monomer A interconnected via crosslinker C.

Abstract: A cement slurry may include an aqueous phase; a cement precursor material; and a hydrophilic branched star polymer. The hydrophilic branched star polymer is a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C and hydrophilic monomer A and hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomer B and optionally hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomer D. The crosslinked polymerized reaction product includes a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophilic monomer A and hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomer B interconnected via crosslinker C; a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophilic monomer A, hydrophilic monomer B, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomer D interconnected via crosslinker C; or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to synthetic functionalized additives, which may comprise a layered magnesium silicate. The present disclosure is also directed to drilling fluids that may comprise an aqueous base fluid and a synthetic functionalized additive. The present disclosure is further directed to methods for producing drilling fluids.

Abstract: Methods of suspending proppants in a hydraulic fracturing fluid including adding a quantity of precursor nanoparticles including carbon nanotubes supported by metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles to the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles and the hydraulic fracturing fluid are selected such that the metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles are dissolvable in the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles dissolve in the hydraulic fracturing fluid, resulting in an amount of carbon nanotubes dispersed within the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The carbon nanotube dispersion increases the value of at least one of a Newtonian viscosity, a yield point, a plastic viscosity, and a density of the hydraulic fracturing fluid with the dispersed carbon nanotubes versus a similar or equivalent hydraulic fracturing fluid without the carbon nanotube dispersion. The method may further include adding proppants to the hydraulic fracturing fluid.

Abstract: Magnetically responsive drilling fluids and methods of using magnetically responsive drilling fluids. The magnetically responsive drilling fluids may include a drilling fluid and a plurality of superparamagnetic nanostructures disposed within the drilling fluid. The plurality of superparamagnetic nanostructures may include superparamagnetic-iron-oxide-nanoparticles (SPIONs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) adsorbed onto the SPIONs. The method of using the magnetically responsive drilling fluid may include introducing the magnetically responsive drilling fluid into a subsurface formation and applying a magnetic field to the magnetically responsive drilling fluid to elicit a rheological change in the magnetically responsive drilling fluid.

Abstract: Methods of suspending at least one weighting agent in drilling fluids. The embodiments include adding a quantity of precursor nanoparticles including carbon nanotubes supported by metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles to the drilling fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles and the drilling fluid are selected such that the metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles are dissolvable in the drilling fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles dissolve in the drilling fluid, resulting in an amount of carbon nanotubes dispersed within the drilling fluid. The carbon nanotube dispersion increases the value of at least one of a Newtonian viscosity, a yield point, a plastic viscosity, and a density of the drilling fluid with the dispersed carbon nanotubes versus a similar or equivalent drilling fluid without the carbon nanotube dispersion. The method may further include adding at least one weighting agent which will become suspended in the drilling fluid.

Abstract: Cured cements, cement slurries, and methods of making cured cement and methods of using cement slurries are provided. The method of making a cured cement comprising: synthesizing nanomaterials via chemical vapor deposition on at least one of cement particles or cement additive particles to form nanomaterial particles, adding the nanomaterial particles to a cement slurry to form a modified cement slurry, and curing the modified cement slurry to form a cured cement, in which the nanomaterials are interconnected and form a conductive web within the cured cement.

Abstract: A quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of synthesizing a quaternary amine composition comprising the steps of reacting an alkoxylated dimer diamine with a methyl halogen, where the methyl halogen is selected from the group consisting of methyl chloride, methyl iodine, and combinations of the same; and allowing the reaction to proceed to produce the quaternary amine composition, the quaternary amine composition selected from the group consisting of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and combinations of the same. A method of treating a well comprising the steps of introducing an additive-containing well fluid to a well, where the additive-containing well fluid comprises a quaternary amine composition and a well fluid, allowing the additive-containing well fluid to interact with the well, and treating the well with the additive-containing fluid.