Drilling fluid and methods
View Patent ↗A drilling fluid comprising: a non-ionic surfactant including: a branched alcohol ethoxylate and/or a capped alcohol ethoxylate; and a detergent builder.
1. A method for drilling a wellbore through a formation, the method comprising: operating a drilling assembly to drill a wellbore and circulating a drilling fluid through the wellbore as it is drilled, the drilling fluid being water based and including: 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of a branched alcohol ethoxylate; and a detergent builder.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detergent builder is at a concentration of 0.01% to 0.5% by weight.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid further includes a viscosifer.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the drilling fluid is reused.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein drill cuttings are removed from the drilling fluid prior to reuse.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the branched alcohol ethoxylate is an alkyl polyethylene glycol ethers based on C10-Guerbet alcohol and ethylene oxide.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detergent builder includes a phosphate-type builder.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the detergent builder includes a pyrophosphate-type builder.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is TKPP.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the detergent builder includes a silicate-type builder.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the drilling fluid further comprises a defoamer.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the defoamer includes a fatty alcohol ethoxylate.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid further comprises a plant-based oil lubricant.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plant-based oil lubricant includes one or more of vegetable oil and/or derivatives thereof, canola oil and/or derivatives thereof; and soya bean oil and/or derivatives thereof.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the lubricant includes a fatty acid methyl ester.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the branched alcohol ethoxylate is an alkyl polyethylene glycol ether based on C10-Guerbet alcohol and ethylene oxide; the detergent builder is TKPP; and 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of a plant-based oil.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising a fatty alcohol ethoxylate defoamer.
18. The method of claim 16 further comprising maintaining the pH at greater than 10.
19. A method for drilling a wellbore through a formation, the method comprising: operating a drilling assembly to drill a wellbore and circulating a drilling fluid through the wellbore as it is drilled, the drilling fluid being water-based and including: 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of a capped alcohol ethoxylate; and a detergent builder.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the detergent builder is at a concentration of 0.01% to 0.5% by weight.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the drilling fluid further includes a viscosifer.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein the drilling fluid is reused.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein drill cuttings are removed from the drilling fluid prior to reuse.
24. The method of claim 19 wherein the detergent builder includes a phosphate-type builder.
25. The method of claim 19 wherein the detergent builder includes a pyrophosphate-type builder.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the detergent builder is TKPP.
27. The method of claim 19 wherein the detergent builder includes a silicate-type builder.
28. The method of claim 19 wherein the drilling fluid further comprises a defoamer.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the defoamer includes a fatty alcohol ethoxylate.
30. The method of claim 19 , wherein the drilling fluid further comprises a plant-based oil lubricant.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the plant-based oil lubricant includes one or more of vegetable oil and/or derivatives thereof, canola oil and/or derivatives thereof; and soya bean oil and/or derivatives thereof.
32. The method of claim 30 wherein the lubricant includes a fatty acid methyl ester.
33. The method of claim 19 wherein the capped alcohol ethoxylate includes chlorine capped ethoxylated C10-14-ISO alcohols.
34. The method of claim 19 wherein the capped alcohol ethoxylate includes chlorine capped ethoxylated C9-11 ISO, C10 rich alcohols.
35. The method of claim 19 wherein the capped alcohol ethoxylate is chlorine capped ethoxylated C9-11 ISO, C10 rich alcohols; the detergent builder is TKPP; and further comprising 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of a plant-based oil.
36. The method of claim 35 further comprising a fatty alcohol ethoxylate defoamer.
37. The method of claim 35 further comprising maintaining the pH at greater than 10.