Drilling mud displacement

Patent · Tue Jun 12 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6515814

Singer, A M; Oliver, J E

An improved displacement process for eliminating drilling mud (solids and oil) from a well system prior to introduction of solids-free completion and packer brine. Clean water is circulated in the well system to remove and carry the major portion of the drilling mud. A treated water is prepared from a surfactant and alcohol admixed in clean water. Without interrupting circulation, the treated water displaces the clean water carrying drilling mud from the well system. Circulation of the treated water continues in the well system in which the brine is to be received until substantially all of the drilling mud is carried in the circulating treated water. Again without interrupting circulation, the treated water is displaced from the well system to a suitable disposal region with solids-free clean water. Lastly, the solids-free clean water is displaced from the well system with the solids-free brine.

• Assignee: EDB-84-163682
• Patent Number(s): US 4453598
• OSTI ID: 6515814
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ALCOHOLS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BRINES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
DRILLING FLUIDS
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID WITHDRAWAL
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MIXING
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SOLUTIONS
SURFACTANTS
WATER