Clay inhibitors for drilling, fracturing, and other procedures

1. A method of drilling a well, the method comprising drilling a well bore and circulating a water-based drilling fluid through said well bore when drilling said well bore, wherein the water-based drilling fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition comprising:

aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

triethylenetetramine (TETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethanolamine (DEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition; and

triethanolamine (TEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition,

wherein said DETA or said TETA, or a combination of said DETA and said TETA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 5% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DEA or said TEA, or a combination of said DEA and said TEA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 2% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of said AEEA is at least 25% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of said DEA is about 2% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of said TEA is about 3% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition further comprises an amount of hydroxyethylpiperazine (HEP) of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

said AEEA is present in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DETA is present in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition consists essentially of only said AEEA and said DETA.

8. A method of drilling a well that at least reduces clay swelling that occurs in the well as a water-based drilling fluid is circulated through the well, the method comprising drilling a well bore and circulating the water-based drilling fluid through the well bore when drilling the well bore, wherein the water-based drilling fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition that is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprising from about 25% to about 50% by weight aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) based on a total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprising, based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition,

at least 1% by weight diethylenetriamine (DETA),

at least 4% by weight triethylenetetramine (TETA),

at least 4.5% by weight diethanolamine (DEA), and

at least 5% by weight triethanolamine (TEA).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition further comprises at least 1.5% by weight hydroxyethylpiperazine based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition is present in said water-based drilling fluid in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight based upon a total weight of said water-based drilling fluid.

13. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting a water-based fracturing fluid into said subterranean formation, wherein the water-based fracturing fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition comprising:

aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

triethylenetetramine (TETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethanolamine (DEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition; and

triethanolamine (TEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition,

wherein said DETA or said TETA, or a combination of said DETA and said TETA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 5% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DEA or said TEA, or a combination of said DEA and said TEA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 2% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the amount of said AEEA is at least 25% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the amount of said DEA is about 2% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the amount of said TEA is about 3% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition further comprises an amount of hydroxyethylpiperazine (HEP) of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

said AEEA is present in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DETA is present in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition consists essentially of only said AEEA and said DETA.

20. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation that at least reduces clay swelling that occurs in the subterranean formation as a water-based fracturing fluid is injected into the subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting the water-based fracturing fluid into said subterranean formation, wherein the water-based fracturing fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition that is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprises from about 25% to about 50% by weight aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) based on a total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprises, based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition,

at least 1% by weight diethylenetriamine (DETA),

at least 4% by weight triethylenetetramine (TETA),

at least 4.5% by weight diethanolamine (DEA), and

at least 5% by weight triethanolamine (TEA).

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition further comprises at least 1.5% by weight hydroxyethylpiperazine based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition is present in water-based fracturing fluid in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 2% by weight based upon a total weight of said water-based fracturing fluid.

25. A method of treating a well or a subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting a water-based treatment fluid into said well or said subterranean formation, wherein the water-based treatment fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition comprising:

aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of a total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethylenetriamine (DETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

triethylenetetramine (TETA) in an amount of from 0% to about 70% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition;

diethanolamine (DEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition; and

triethanolamine (TEA) in an amount of from 0% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition,

wherein said DETA or said TETA, or a combination of said DETA and said TETA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 5% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DEA or said TEA, or a combination of said DEA and said TEA, is present in said clay swelling inhibitor composition in an amount of at least 2% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the amount of said AEEA is at least 25% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the amount of said DEA is about 2% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the amount of said TEA is about 3% or more by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition further comprises an amount of hydroxyethylpiperazine (HEP) of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein said water-based treatment fluid is a completion fluid, a flood, a conformist control fluid, or other enhanced recovery fluid.

31. The method of claim 25 , wherein:

said AEEA is present in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition and

said DETA is present in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of said total weight of said clay swelling inhibitor composition.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the clay swelling inhibitor composition consists essentially of only said AEEA and said DETA.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein said water-based treatment fluid is a completion fluid, a flood, a conformist control fluid, or other enhanced recovery fluid.

34. A method of treating a well or subterranean formation that at least reduces clay swelling that occurs in the well or subterranean formation as a treatment fluid is injected in the well or the subterranean formation, the method comprising injecting a water-based treatment fluid into said well or said subterranean formation, wherein the water-based treatment fluid includes a clay swelling inhibitor composition that is a distillation residuum bottoms composition remaining from a process wherein monoethanolamine has been reacted with ammonia to produce a reaction product composition and said reaction product composition has been fractionated to recover a piperazine distillate product therefrom and to leave said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprises from about 25% to about 50% by weight aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) based on a total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition comprises, based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition,

at least 1% by weight diethylenetriamine (DETA),

at least 4% by weight triethylenetetramine (TETA),

at least 4.5% by weight diethanolamine (DEA), and

at least 5% by weight triethanolamine (TEA).

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition further comprises at least 1.5% by weight hydroxyethylpiperazine based upon said total weight of said distillation residuum bottoms composition.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein the distillation residuum bottoms composition is present in said water-based treatment fluid in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight based upon a total weight of said water-based treatment fluid.

39. The method of claim 34 , wherein said water-based treatment fluid is a completion fluid, a flood, a conformist control fluid, or other enhanced recovery fluid.