Low and high temperature drilling fluids based on sulfonated terpolymer ionomers

Patent · Tue Aug 27 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5855091

Peiffer, D G; Lundberg, R D; Pober, K W

The present invention relates to sulfonated thermoplastic terpolymers which are terpolymers of t-butyl styrene, styrene and sodium styrene sulfonate wherein these sulfonated terpolymers function as viscosification agents when added to oil-based drilling muds which are the fluids used to maintain pressure, cool drill bits and lift cuttings from the holes in the drilling operation for oil and gas wells. The sulfonated thermoplastic terpolymer of the latex have about 5 to 100 meg. of sulfonate groups per 100 grams of the sulfonated thermoplastic terpolymer, wherein the sulfonated groups are neutralized with a metallic cation or an amine or ammonium counterion. A polar cosolvent can optionally be added to the mixture of oil drilling mud and sulfonated thermoplastic polymer, wherein the polar cosolvent increases the solubility of the sulfonated thermoplastic terpolymer in the oil drilling mud by decreasing the strong ionic interactions between the sulfonate groups of the sulfonated polymer. The drilling muds formed from these latices of the sulfonated thermpolastic terpolymers exhibits markedly improved low and high temperature rheological properties as compared to drilling muds formed from sulfonated thermoplastic copolymers.

• Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
• Patent Number(s): US 4537688
• OSTI ID: 5855091
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ADDITIVES
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DRILLING FLUIDS
FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASTICS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYSTYRENE
POLYVINYLS
RHEOLOGY
SOLUBILITY
STYRENE
SULFONATION
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMOPLASTICS
VISCOSITY