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US4092407A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Producing iron oxide weighting materials for drilling fluids

Assignee: GEA Group AG
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Filing: 1976-06-24
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Granted: 1978-05-30
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Expires: 1996-06-24
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Abstract

Abstract Weighting material for a drilling fluid, e.g. a drilling mud, is produced by firing iron oxide solids, e.g. iron oxide ores, calcined pyritic ores or iron-oxide-containing products of other metallurgical processes, in a circulating fluidized bed or rotary furnace at a temperature of 1210 DEG C to 1400 DEG C in an oxidizing atmosphere in which the oxygen content is augmented to transform magnetitic components to oxides of lower magnetic susceptibility. The product is then cooled slowly at least until it reaches a temperature of 780 DEG C, also in an oxidizing atmosphere. The weighting materials have extremely low magnetic susceptibility and thus can be used without interfering with inductive monitoring of the position of the drill string.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hans-Joachim Rohrborn
  • 👤 Rainer Homann
  • 👤 Heribert Conrady
  • 👤 Dieter Menzel

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 19:36
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/02; C09K8/03; C09K8/032; C22; C22B; C22B1/00; C22B1/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
A process for producing a weighting material of limited magnetic susceptibility for a drilling fluid which comprises the steps of: (a) firing an iron-oxide solid material consisting of calcined fine pyrites or calcined pyrites recovered by flotation, having a relatively high magnetic susceptibility at a temperature between 1210° C and 1400° C in the presence of an oxidizing atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure in excess of the equilibrium partial pressure of the oxide at the firing temperature, for a period of 10 to 180 minutes and sufficient to reduce the magnetic susceptibility of said solid to a gram magnetic susceptibility below 1000 × 10 -6 ; and (b) slowly cooling said solid at least to a temperature of 780° C in an oxidizing atmosphere at a rate of substantially 1° C to 30° per minute.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 136 words
A process for producing a weighting material of limited magnetic susceptibility for a drilling fluid which comprises the steps of: (a) firing an iron-oxide solid material consisting of calcined fine pyrites or calcined pyrites recovered by flotation, having a relatively high magnetic susceptibility at a temperature between 1210° C and 1400° C in the presence of an oxidizing atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure in excess of the equilibrium partial pressure of the oxide at the firing temperature, for a period of 10 to 180 minutes and sufficient to reduce the magnetic susceptibility of said solid to a gram magnetic susceptibility below 1000 × 10 -6 ; and (b) slowly cooling said solid at least to a temperature of 780° C in an oxidizing atmosphere at a rate of substantially 1° C to 30° per minute.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
The process defined in claim 1 wherein said solid is fired in a circulating fluidized bed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said solid is fired in a rotary kiln.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of grinding the cooled solid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
The process defined in claim 4 wherein the cooled solid is ground and classified to a particle size of: ______________________________________ 30 to 70 microns 50 to 55% 20 to 30 microns 10 to 15% 10 to 20 microns 10 to 15% up to 10 microns 20 to 30%. ______________________________________

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2298984A Cited
US2820704A Cited
US3245778A Cited
US3887474A Cited
US3867128A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-05-29 1981-11-28 1982-05-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-05-29 1985-11-28 1986-05-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-05-29 1989-11-28 1990-05-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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