Invert emulsions for well-drilling comprising a polydiorganosiloxane and method therefor

Claim 1

An emulsion composition to be used in well-drilling and comprising (A) 1 to 75 parts by volume of a brine as a discontinuous phase, (B) 25 to 99 parts by volume of a liquid hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of kerosene, diesel oil, crude oil, turbine fuel, mineral oil, gas oil and paraffins having a flash point of at least 100° F. as a continuous phase, and (C) 0.05 to 15 parts by weight, for every 100 parts by weight of brine plus liquid hydrocarbon, of a polydiorganosiloxane having the formula Z.sub.3 SiO{(CH.sub.3).sub.2 SiO}.sub.x {(CH.sub.3)(R)SiO}.sub.y {(CH.sub.3)(Q)SiO}.sub.z SiZ.sub.3 wherein Q denotes a polyoxyalkylene radical having the formula --R'(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.p (OCH.sub.2 CHCH.sub.3).sub.q OR", R denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, inclusive, R' denotes a divalent radical bonded to a silicon atom by a silicon-carbon bond, R" denotes a monovalent radical selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, arylalkyl and acyl radicals, Z denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, inclusive, or a Q radical, or an R radical, x has an average value of from 0 to 400, y has an average value of from 0 to 400, z has an average value of from 0 to 5, x+y+z has an average value of from 30 to 400, p has an average value equal to or greater than the average value of q and p+q has an average value sufficient to provide a formula weight of from 600 to 3500 for the --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) p (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) q -- portion of the Q radical, there being an average of at least one Q radical and an average of at least one R radical per molecule of the polydiorganosiloxane.

Claim 12

A method comprising (I) mixing to form a solution, (i) 0.5 to 15 parts by weight of a polydiorganosiloxane having the formula Z.sub.3 SiO{(CH.sub.3).sub.2 SiO}.sub.x {(CH.sub.3 (R)SiO}.sub.y {(CH.sub.3)(Q)SiO}.sub.z SiZ.sub.3 wherein Q denotes a polyoxyalkylene radical having the formula --R'(OCH 2 CH 2 ) p (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) q OR", R denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having an average of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, inclusive, R' denotes a divalent radical bonded to a silicon atom by a silicon-carbon bond, R" denotes a monovalent radical selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, arylalkyl and acyl radicals, Z denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, inclusive, or a Q radical, or an R radical, x has an average value of from 0 to 400, y has an average value of from 0 to 400, z has an average value of from 0 to 5, x+y+z has an average value of from 30 to 400, p has an average value equal to or greater than the average value of q and p+q has an average value sufficient to provide a formula weight of from 600 to 3500 for the --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) p (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) q -- portion of the Q radical, there being an average of at least one Q radical and an average of at least one R radical per molecule of the polydiorganosiloxane, and (ii) aV parts by volume of a liquid hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of kerosene, diesel oil, crude oil, turbine fuel, mineral oil, gas oil and paraffins having a flash point of at least 100° F., (II) mixing the solution of step (I) with bV parts by volume of the liquid hydrocarbon, (III) mixing V' parts by volume of a brine with the solution of step (II) with sufficient shear energy to provide an emulsion having a brine particle size of less than 10 micrometers in diameter, and (IV) mixing the emulsion of step (III) with cV parts by volume of the liquid hydrocarbon, wherein, V has a value of from 25 to 99 parts by volume, V' has a value of from 1 to 75 parts by volume, V+V' has a weight of 100 parts by weight, a has a value of from greater than zero to 1, b has a value of from zero to less than 1, c has a value of from zero to less than 1, and a+b+c has a value of 1.

Claim 13

A method comprising (I) mixing to form a solution, (i) 0.5 to 15 parts by weight of a polydiorganosiloxane having the formula Z.sub.3 SiO{(CH.sub.3).sub.2 SiO}.sub.x {(CH.sub.3 (R)SiO}.sub.y {(CH.sub.3)(Q)SiO}.sub.z SiZ.sub.3 wherein Q denotes a polyoxyalkylene radical having the formula --R'(OCH 2 CH 2 ) p (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) q OR", R denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having an average of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, inclusive, R' denotes a divalent radical bonded to a silicon atom by a silicon-carbon bond, R" denotes a monovalent radical selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, arylalkyl and acyl radicals, Z denotes a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, inclusive, or a Q radical, or an R radical, x has an average value of from 0 to 400, y has an average value of from 0 to 400, z has an average value of from 0 to 5, x+y+z has an average value of from 30 to 400, p has an average value equal to or greater than the average value of q and p+q has an average value sufficient to provide a formula weight of from 600 to 3500 for the --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) p (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) q -- portion of the Q radical, there being an average of at least one Q radical and an average of at least one R radical per molecule of the polydiorganosiloxane, and (ii) aV parts by volume of a liquid hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of kerosene, diesel oil, crude oil, turbine fuel, mineral oil, gas oil and paraffins having a flash point of at least 100° F., (II) mixing the solution of step (I) with bV parts by volume of the liquid hydrocarbon, (III) mixing V' parts by volume of a brine with the solution of step (II) with sufficient shear energy to provide an emulsion having a brine particle size of less than 10 micrometers in diameter, and (IV) mixing the emulsion of step (III) with cV parts by volume of the liquid hydrocarbon, wherein, V has a value of from 25 to 99 parts by volume, V' has a value of from 1 to 75 parts by volume, V+V' has a weight of 100 parts by weight, a has a value of from greater than zero to 1, b has a value of from zero to less than 1, c has a value of from zero to less than 1, and a+b+c has a value of 1.

Claim 15

A method according to claims 11 or 12 wherein a has a value of less than 1.