Enhanced oil-based foam drilling fluid compositions and method for making and using same

1. A method for drilling a well comprising the steps of:

adding an effective amount of a foaming composition to a hydrocarbon base fluid to form a hydrocarbon drilling fluid, where the foaming composition comprises a foaming agent and a stabilizing amount of a polymer, where the stabilizing amount of the polymer is sufficient to form a foam stable to a temperature of at least 350° F., where the foaming agent comprises a silicone foaming agent, a fluorinated oligomeric or polymeric foaming agent, or a mixtures thereof, where the polymer comprises a block copolymer of styrene and a diene, and where the polymer is present in an amount sufficient to increase a viscosity of the base fluid at a shear rate of 0.06 l/s to a viscosity above 40,000 cP,

pumping the hydrocarbon drilling fluid into a drill string while drilling,

pumping an organophillic gas into the well at or near a distal end of the drilling string or at or near a drill bit at a rate sufficient to produce a foamed drilling fluid having a reduced fluid column weight, having a foam height between about 110 mL and about 200 mL and having a half life between about 2 minutes and about 5 minutes, where the foamed drilling fluid increases a fluid removal rate from the well and increases cuttings and other entrained materials removal from the well, and

withdrawing the foam from the well.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

after the withdrawing step, breaking the foam with a sufficient amount of a defoaming agent.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of:

repeating the two pumping steps, the withdrawing step and breaking steps at least 5 times with or without adding an additional amount of the foaming composition or a component thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of:

repeating the two pumping steps, the withdrawing step and breaking steps at least 10 times with or without adding an additional amount of the foaming composition or a component thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foaming agent is a fluorinated oligomeric or polymeric foaming agent.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon base fluid is selected from the group consisting of synthetic hydrocarbon fluids, petroleum based hydrocarbon fluids, natural hydrocarbon (non-aqueous) fluids or mixtures or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon base fluid is selected from the group consisting of polyalphaolefins, polybutenes, polyolesters, vegetable oils, animal oils, other essential oil, diesel having high or low sulfur content, crude oil, condensate, xylene, mineral sprits, low end kerosene cuts, paraffins, kerosene, jet-fuel, internal olefins (JO) having between about 12 and 20 carbon atoms, linear alpha olefins having between about 14 and 20 carbon atoms, polyalpha olefins having between about 12 and about 20 carbon atoms, isomerized alpha olefins (IAO) having between about 12 and about 20 carbon atoms, and mixtures or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a random styrene-isoprene copolymer, a styrene-isoprene diblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene triblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene multi-block polymer, a random styrene-butadiene copolymer, a styrene-butadiene diblock polymers, a styrene-butadiene triblock polymer, a styrene-butadiene multi-block polymer, a random styrene-isoprene-butadiene copolymer, a styrene-isoprene-butadiene triblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene-butadiene multi-block polymer, a star polymer including a core and arms comprising styrene and butadiene or isoprene, graft polymers of styrene and butadiene or isoprene or mixtures and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diene comprises butadiene, isoprene, or a mixture thereof.

10. A method for drilling comprising the steps of:

circulating a hydrocarbon drilling fluid system including a hydrocarbon fluid and an effective amount of a foaming composition into a borehole of an oil or gas well, where the foaming composition comprises a foaming agent and a stabilizing amount of a polymer, where the stabilizing amount of the polymer is sufficient to form a foam stable to a temperature of at least 350° F., where the foaming agent comprises a silicone foaming agent, a fluorinated oligomeric or polymeric foaming agent, or a mixtures thereof, where the polymer comprises a block copolymer of styrene and a diene, where the polymer is present in an amount sufficient to increase a viscosity of the base fluid at a shear rate of 0.06 l/s to a viscosity above 40,000 cP,

injecting an organophilic gas into the fluid at a rate sufficient to form a foamed drilling fluid having a reduced fluid column weight, having a foam height between about 110 mL and about 200 mL and having a half life between about 2 minutes and about 5 minutes, where the foamed drilling fluid increases a fluid removal rate from the well and increases cuttings and other entrained materials removal from the well, and

withdrawing the foamed drilling fluid from the well.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of:

breaking the foam with a sufficient amount of a defoaming agent.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

repeating the circulating, injecting and breaking steps at least 5 times with or without adding an additional amount of the foaming composition or a component thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

repeating the circulating, injecting and breaking steps at least 10 times with or without adding an additional amount of the foaming composition or a component thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the foaming agent is a fluorinated oligomeric or polymeric foaming agent.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a random styrene-isoprene copolymer, a styrene-isoprene diblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene triblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene multi-block polymer, a random styrene-butadiene copolymer, a styrene-butadiene diblock polymers, a styrene-butadiene triblock polymer, a styrene-butadiene multi-block polymers, a random styrene-isoprene-butadiene copolymer, a styrene-isoprene-butadiene triblock polymer, a styrene-isoprene-butadiene multi-block polymer, a star polymer including a core and arms comprising styrene and butadiene or isoprene, graft polymers of styrene and butadiene or isoprene or mixtures and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diene comprises butadiene, isoprene, or a mixture thereof.