US3899431A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Oil-in-water microemulsion drilling fluids
Assignee: Marathon Oil Co
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Filing: 1973-01-18
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Granted: 1975-08-12
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Expires: 1993-01-18
Abstract
Abstract Improved fluids for drilling, completing, and workover of wells are obtained with water-external microemulsions containing about 5% to about 90% hydrocarbon, about 10% to about 90% water, about 1% to about 30% of a sodium petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight within the range of about 350 to about 525, and about 0.1% to about 15% of a bentonite clay and optionally about 0.0 to about 20% of a cosurfactant and about 0.001 to about 5% by weight, based on the water, of an electrolyte. These fluids exhibit low resistivity properties which permit better log interpretation and also exhibit lower fluid loss properties than comparable water-based fluids.
Inventors
- 👤 John B Hayes
- 👤 Gerald W Haws
- 👤 William B Gogarty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:43
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B21/00; E21B21/003; C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/02; C09K8/04; C09K8/26; C09K8/28; C09K8/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
AN IMPROVED FLUID USEFUL IN THE DRILLING OF WELLS WHEREIN A MICELLAR DISPERSION COMPRISED OF WATER, HYDROCARBON AND PETROLEUM SULFONATE IS USED AS THE DRILLING FLUID, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES USING AS THE DRILLING FLUID A WATEREXTERNAL MICROEMULSION COMPRISED OF ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME WATER, ABOUT 5 TO .0% BY VOLUME HYDROCARBON, ABOUT 1% TO 30% BY VOLUME OF A SODIUM PETROLEUM SULFONATE HAVING AN AVERAGE EQUIVALENT WEIGHT WITHIN THE RANGE OF 350 TO ABOUT 525,AND ABOUT 0.01 TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE WATER, OF A WATER-DISPERSIBLE CLAY
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
AN IMPROVED FLUID USEFUL IN THE DRILLING OF WELLS WHEREIN A MICELLAR DISPERSION COMPRISED OF WATER, HYDROCARBON AND PETROLEUM SULFONATE IS USED AS THE DRILLING FLUID, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES USING AS THE DRILLING FLUID A WATEREXTERNAL MICROEMULSION COMPRISED OF ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME WATER, ABOUT 5 TO .0% BY VOLUME HYDROCARBON, ABOUT 1% TO 30% BY VOLUME OF A SODIUM PETROLEUM SULFONATE HAVING AN AVERAGE EQUIVALENT WEIGHT WITHIN THE RANGE OF 350 TO ABOUT 525,AND ABOUT 0.01 TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE WATER, OF A WATER-DISPERSIBLE CLAY
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microemulsion of claim 1 wherein it contains about 0.01 to about 20% by volume cosurfactant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The microemulsion of claim 2 wherein the cosurfactant is an alcohol containing about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the microemulsion contains up to about 70% by weight of a weighting agent to obtain a density of about 8 to about 18 lbs/gal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the sodium petroleum sulfonate is about 2% to about 20%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The microemulsion of claim 1 wherein the average equivalent weight of the petroleum sulfonate is about 400 to about 470.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The microemulsion of claim 1 wherein the water contains about 0.001 to about 5% by weight, based on the water, of an inorganic salt, inorganic base, or inorganic acid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The microemulsion of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the water-dispersible clay is about 1.0 to about 10% by weight, based on the water.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the water-dispersible clay is a bentonite clay.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the microemulsion contains about 50% to about 80% water, about 5% to about 50% hydrocarbon, and about 5% to about 10% sulfonate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
168 words
IN A PROCESS OF DRILLING A WELL WHEREIN A MICELLAR DISPERSION COMPRISED OF HYDROCARBON, WATER AND PETROLEUM SULFONATE IS USED AS A CIRCULATING DRILLING FLUID, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CIRCULATING IN SAID WELL A WATER-EXTERNAL MICROEMULSION WHICH EXHIBITS IMPROVES RESISTIVITY PROPERTIES TO PERMIT BETTER INTERPRETATION OF ELECTRICAL LOGGING OF THE WELL AND ALSO WHICH EXHIBITS LOW FLUID LOSS PROPERTIES, THE MICROEMULSION COMPRISED OF ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME WATER, ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME OF HYDROCARBON, ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 30% OF A SODIUM PETROLEUM SULFONATE HAVING AN AVERAGE EQUIVALENT WEIGHT WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 350 TO ABOUT 525, ABOUT 0.01 TO ABOUT 20% OF AN ALCOHOL CONTAINING ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 20 CARBON ATOMS, ABOUT 0.001 TO ABOUT 5% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WATER OF AN INORGANIC SALT, ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WATER, OF BENTONITE CLAY FINELY DISPERSED IN THE WATER PHASE, AND UP TO ABOUT 705 OF BARITE, FINELY DISPERSED IN THE WATER PHASE.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
168 words
IN A PROCESS OF DRILLING A WELL WHEREIN A MICELLAR DISPERSION COMPRISED OF HYDROCARBON, WATER AND PETROLEUM SULFONATE IS USED AS A CIRCULATING DRILLING FLUID, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CIRCULATING IN SAID WELL A WATER-EXTERNAL MICROEMULSION WHICH EXHIBITS IMPROVES RESISTIVITY PROPERTIES TO PERMIT BETTER INTERPRETATION OF ELECTRICAL LOGGING OF THE WELL AND ALSO WHICH EXHIBITS LOW FLUID LOSS PROPERTIES, THE MICROEMULSION COMPRISED OF ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME WATER, ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 90% BY VOLUME OF HYDROCARBON, ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 30% OF A SODIUM PETROLEUM SULFONATE HAVING AN AVERAGE EQUIVALENT WEIGHT WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 350 TO ABOUT 525, ABOUT 0.01 TO ABOUT 20% OF AN ALCOHOL CONTAINING ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 20 CARBON ATOMS, ABOUT 0.001 TO ABOUT 5% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WATER OF AN INORGANIC SALT, ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WATER, OF BENTONITE CLAY FINELY DISPERSED IN THE WATER PHASE, AND UP TO ABOUT 705 OF BARITE, FINELY DISPERSED IN THE WATER PHASE.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The microemulsion of claim 11 wherein the equivalent weight of the petroleum sulfonate is about 400 to about 470.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The microemulsion of claim 11 wherein the microemulsion contains about 1.0 to about 10% by weight, based on the water, of the bentonite.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The microemulsion of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon is a crude oil.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microemulsion of claim 10 wherein the hydrocarbon is a partially refined fraction of crude oil.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-11 | 1979-02-10 | 1979-08-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-11 | 1983-02-10 | 1983-08-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-11 | 1987-02-10 | 1987-08-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |