Method of and composition for use in, gas drilling

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DRILLING A WELL USING A GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID TO REMOVE BIT CUTTINGS FROM THE WELL BORE COMPRISING: CIRCULATING A GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID CONTINUOUSLY INTO THE WELL BORE DURING THE DRILLING OF THE WELL; AND INJECTING INTO SAID GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID IN AN AMOUNT OF 1 BARREL OF ADDITIVE COMPOSTION FOR EACH 1,500 TO 100,000 CUBIC FEET OF GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID CIRCULATED INTO THE WELL, AN AQUEOUS ADDITIVE COMPOSITION COMPRISING: (A) WATER; (B) FROM ABOUT 0.1 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 10 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A BENTONITIC CLAY; (C) FROM ABOUT 0.005 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 2 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A WATER SOLUBLE NATURAL GUM; AND (D) FROM ABOUT 0.01 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 20 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A FOAMING AGENT OTHER THAN A CATIONIC FOAMING AGENT AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL ARYL SULFONATES, ALKYL PHENOL ETHOXYLATES, ALKYL PHENOL ETHOXY SALTS, ALKYL ETHOXY SULFATE SALTS AND ALKLY AMINES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DRILLING A WELL USING A GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID TO REMOVE BIT CUTTINGS FROM THE WELL BORE COMPRISING: CIRCULATING A GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID CONTINUOUSLY INTO THE WELL BORE DURING THE DRILLING OF THE WELL; AND INJECTING INTO SAID GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID IN AN AMOUNT OF 1 BARREL OF ADDITIVE COMPOSTION FOR EACH 1,500 TO 100,000 CUBIC FEET OF GASEOUS DRILLING FLUID CIRCULATED INTO THE WELL, AN AQUEOUS ADDITIVE COMPOSITION COMPRISING: (A) WATER; (B) FROM ABOUT 0.1 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 10 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A BENTONITIC CLAY; (C) FROM ABOUT 0.005 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 2 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A WATER SOLUBLE NATURAL GUM; AND (D) FROM ABOUT 0.01 WEIGHT PERCENT TO ABOUT 20 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A FOAMING AGENT OTHER THAN A CATIONIC FOAMING AGENT AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL ARYL SULFONATES, ALKYL PHENOL ETHOXYLATES, ALKYL PHENOL ETHOXY SALTS, ALKYL ETHOXY SULFATE SALTS AND ALKLY AMINES.