Alcohol-in-oil drilling fluid system

Patent · Tue Dec 17 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5596647

Hale, A H; Blytas, G C

This paper describes a method for drilling a well, comprising: rotating drill string to cut a borehole into the earth; circulating invert oil emulsion drilling fluid, the drilling fluid comprising oil, emulsifier and alcohol, through the drill string and through the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the borehole, the alcohol being at least about 30% by weight of the internal phase of the emulsion and being selected from the group. It comprises: an alcohol having less than 8 hydroxyl groups and less than 16 carbon atoms; an acyclic polyol having 3 to 80 carbon atoms and 2 to 60 hydroxyl groups; a monoalicyclipolyol having 5 to 30 carbon atoms and 2 to 10 hydroxyl groups; a cyclicetherpolyol having 6 to 1800 carbon atoms, 2 to 450 hydroxyl groups, and 2 to 600 ether linkages; and mixtures thereof; monitoring the influx of formation water into the drilling fluid; and identifying cations and anions specific to the water influx.

• Assignee: Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5072794; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-671622
• OSTI ID: 5596647
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
ALCOHOLS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
DRILLING FLUIDS
DRILLS
EMULSIONS
EQUIPMENT
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROTARY DRILLS
STIMULATION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS