Drilling fluid composition and additive therefor

Claim 2

The drilling fluid additive composition of claim 1 also including 0-5 volume percent of a water-soluble surfactant selected from the group consisting of water-soluble polymer of alkylene oxide and ethylene oxide adduct of phenol and alkylated phenol.

Claim 3

A drilling fluid additive of claim 1 also including 0 to 5 volume percent of a water soluble surfactant selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanolamine soaps of a member selected from the group consisting of (A) a material selected from the group consisting of lard, tallow, soybean oil and castor oil; (B) a dimer or trimer acid formed by polymerization of a fatty acid containing 12 - 22 carbon atoms; and (C) a sulfated or sulfonated product of the material identified in (A) or (B) above, said alkanolamine being selected from the group consisting of mono-, di- and tri-ethanolamine and mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

The drilling fluid additive composition of claim 1 wherein said emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil is present in an amount of 75 volume percent, said ethylene oxide adduct of said ester is present in an amount of 20 volume percent and said water-soluble surfactant is present in an amount or a 5 volume percent of said composition.

Claim 5

A drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids and the drilling fluid additive of claim 1 wherein said additive is present in amounts of 1 to 100 parts by volume to 2,000 parts by volume of the aqueous suspension of solids.

Claim 6

A drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids and the drilling additive of claim 4 wherein said additive is present in the amount of 1 to 100 parts by volume to 2,000 parts by volume of the aqueous suspension of solids.

Claim 7

The drilling fluid of claim 7 wherein said drilling additive consists essentially of 75 volume percent of said emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil, 20 volume percent of said ethylene oxide adduct of said ester and 5 volume percent of said water-soluble surfactant.

Claim 8

A drilling fluid additive composition consisting essentially of: a. 25 to 90 volume percent of an emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil consisting essentially of a fluid hydrocarbon oil having a Saybolt viscosity of 35 - 200 at 100* F and an emulsifier present in an amount of 5 - 25 weight percent based on the total weight of the oil-emulsifier mixture to provide a stable emulsion of said oil in water and high calcium brines, said emulsifier being selected from the group consisting of (1) a soap of a fatty acid containing 10 - 22 carbon atoms and a polyalkanol-amine selected from the group consisting of di- and tri-ethanolamine, and (2) the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts of mahogany petroleum sulfonate, and b. 5 to 50 volume percent of an ethylene oxide adduct of an ester formed from a polyalkanolamine selected from the group consisting of diethanolamine, triethanolamine and mixtures thereof and a high molecular weight polybasic fatty acid selected from the group consisting of dimer and trimer acids having a molecular weight ranging from about 400 to 1,000 obtained from fatty acids containing 12 - 22 carbon atoms, wherein the polyalkanolamine is used in amounts sufficient to provide 1 - 3 hydroxyl groups for each available acid hydrogen and wherein the ethylene oxide in said adduct is present in amounts ranging from 80 to 120 percent by weight of said ester.

Claim 9

In a process for drilling a well with rotary well drilling equipment wherein a drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids is circulated in the well bore, the method of decreasing power requirements for rotating the drilling tools and for lifting said well drilling tools from said well bore which comprises utilizing as said drilling fluid a drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids and a drilling fluid additive, said additive being present in amounts of 1 - 100 parts by volume to 2,000 parts by volume of the aqueous suspension of solids, said drilling fluid additive consisting essentially of a. 25 to 90 volume percent Of an emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil consisting essentially of a fluid hydrocarbon oil having a Saybolt viscosity of 35 - 200 to 100* F and an emulsifier present in an amount of 5 - 25 weight percent based on the total weight of the oil-emulsifier mixture to provide a stable emulsion of said oil in water and high calcium brines, said emulsifier being selected from the group consisting of (1) a soap of a fatty acid containing 10 - 22 carbon atoms and a polyalkanolamine selected from the group consisting of di- and tri-ethanolamine and (2) the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts of mahogany petroleum sulfonate, and b. 5 to 50 volume percent of an ethylene oxide adduct of an ester formed from a polyalkanolamine selected from the group consisting of diethanolamine, triethanolamine and mixtures thereof and a mixture of dibasic and tribasic fatty acids having a molecular weight ranging from about 500 to 800 obtained from decomposition of castor oil, wherein the polyalkanolamine is used in amounts sufficient to provide 1 - 3 hydroxyl groups for each available acid hydrogen and wherein the ethylene oxide in said adduct is present in amounts ranging from 80 to 120 percent by weight of said ester.

Claim 10

The process of claim 10 wherein said drilling fluid additive also includes 0 to 5 volume percent of a water soluble surfactant selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanolamine soaps of a member selected from the group consisting of: (A) a material selected from the group consisting of lard, tallow, soybean oil and castor oil; (B) a dimer or trimer acid formed by polymerization of a fatty acid containing 12 - 22 carbon atoms; and (C) a sulfated or sulfonated product of the material identified in (A) or (B) above, said alkanolamine being selected from the group consisting of mono-, di- and tri-ethanolamine and mixtures thereof.

Claim 11

The process of claim 11 wherein said emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil is present in an amount of 75 volume percent, said ethylene oxide adduct of said ester is present in an amount of 20 volume percent and said water-soluble surfactant is present in an amount of 5 volume percent of said drilling fluid additive.

Claim 12

In a process for drilling a well with rotary well drilling equipment wherein a drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids is circulated in the well bore, the method of decreasing power requirements for rotating the drilling tools and for lifting said well drilling tools from said well bore which comprises utilizing as said drilling fluid a drilling fluid consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of solids and a drilling fluid additive, said additive being present in amounts of 1 - 100 parts by volume to 2,000 parts by volume of the aqueous suspension of solids, said drilling fluid additive consisting essentially of a. 25 to 90 volume percent of an emulsifiable hydrocarbon oil consisting essentially of a fluid hydrocarbon oil having a Saybolt viscosity of 35 - 200 at 100* F and an emulsifier present in an amount of 5 - 25 weight percent based on the total weight of the oil-emulsifier mixture to provide a stable emulsion of said oil in water and high calcium brines, said emulsifier being selected from the group consisting of (1) a soap of a fatty acid containing 10 - 22 carbon atom and polyalkanolamine selected from the group consisting of di- and tri-ethanolamine and (2) the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts of mahogany petroleum sulfonate, and b. 5 to 50 volume percent of an ethylene oxide adduct of an ester formed from a polyalkanolamine selected from the group consisting of diethanolamine, triethanolamine and mixtures thereof and a high molecular weight polybasic fatty acid selected from the group conSisting of dimer and trimer acids having a molecular weight ranging from about 400 - 1,000 obtained from fatty acids containing 12 - 22 carbon atoms, wherein the polyalkanolamine is used in amounts sufficient to provide 1 - 3 hydroxyl groups for each available acid hydrogen and wherein the ethylene oxide in said adduct is present in amounts ranging from 80 to 120 percent by weight of said ester.