DRILLING FLUID ADDITIVES AND FRACTURING FLUID ADDITIVES CONTAINING CELLULOSE NANOFIBERS AND/OR NANOCRYSTALS
This disclosure provides drilling fluids and additives as well as fracturing fluids and additives that contain cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals. In some embodiments, hydrophobic nanocellulose is provided which can be incorporated into oil-based fluids and additives. These water-based or oil-based fluids and additives may further include lignosulfonates and other biomass-derived components. Also, these water-based or oil-based fluids and additives may further include enzymes. The drilling and fracturing fluids and additives described herein may be produced using the AVAP® process technology to produce a nanocellulose precursor, followed by low-energy refining to produce nanocellulose for incorporation into a variety of drilling and fracturing fluids and additives.
1 . A drilling fluid additive comprising hydrophobic lignin-coated cellulose nanofibers and/or hydrophobic lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystals.
2 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 1 , wherein said additive further comprises lignosulfonates.
3 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 1 , wherein said additive further comprises non-sulfonated lignin.
4 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 1 , wherein said additive further comprises enzymes.
5 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 1 , wherein said additive further comprises a crosslinking agent.
6 . A drilling fluid additive comprising (i) hydrophilic nanocellulose and (ii) hydrophobic lignin-coated nanocellulose.
7 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 6 , wherein said additive further comprises lignosulfonates.
8 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 6 , wherein said additive further comprises non-sulfonated lignin.
9 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 6 , wherein said additive further comprises enzymes.
10 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 6 , wherein said additive further comprises a crosslinking agent.
11 . A drilling fluid additive comprising (i) cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals and (ii) lignosulfonates.
12 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals are hydrophobic.
13 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 12 , wherein said cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals are lignin-coated.
14 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals are hydrophilic.
15 . The drilling fluid additive of claim 11 , wherein said cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals are crosslinked.
16 . A drilling fluid comprising a drilling fluid additive containing cellulose nanofibers and/or cellulose nanocrystals.
17 . The drilling fluid of claim 16 , wherein said drilling fluid is a water-based drilling fluid.
18 . The drilling fluid of claim 16 , wherein said drilling fluid is an oil-based drilling fluid.
19 . The drilling fluid of claim 16 , wherein said drilling fluid is a hybrid water-based/oil-based drilling fluid.
20 . The drilling fluid of claim 16 , said drilling fluid further comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a biomass-derived weighting material, a biomass-derived filtration-control agent, a biomass-derived rheology-control agent, a biomass-derived pH-control agent, a biomass-derived lost-circulation material, and a biomass-derived surface-activity modifier, a biomass-derived lubricant, a biomass-derived flocculant, a biomass-derived stabilizer, and combinations thereof.