Cement spacer fluid comprising quaternary surfactant, viscosifier, and proppant

1. A method of cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

injecting into the wellbore a cement spacer fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a quaternary surfactant, a viscosifier, and a proppant;

injecting a cement slurry into the wellbore; and

allowing the cement slurry to set,

wherein the carrier fluid comprises water;

the proppant comprises ceramic particles, sand, a nut shell, gravel, glass, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;

the quaternary surfactant has a cation of R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 N + and an anion, wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched C 1-30 alkyl group, a C 7-30 alkylbenzyl group, a C 7-30 arylalkyl group, a straight or branched C 3-30 alkenyl group, a C 1-30 hydroxyalkyl group, a C 7-30 hydroxyalkylbenzyl group, or a polyoxyalkylene group; and the anion comprises a halide, a perchlorate, a thiocyanate, a cyanate, a carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate, an alkyl sulfonate, PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , SbF 6 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , SO 4 − , or BX 4 − , wherein X is a halide;

the viscosifier comprises guar gums, guar derivatives, hydratable polysaccharides, xanthan gum, galactomannan gums, glucomannan gums, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, poly((meth)acrylic acid)s, poly((meth)acrylamides), copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylamide, C1-8 alkyl poly(meth)acrylates, clays, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing viscosifiers; and

the cement spacer fluid comprises about 30 to about 100 wt % of the carrier fluid, about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of the quaternary surfactant, about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of the viscosifier, and about 1 to about 65 wt % of the proppant, each based on the weight of water in the cement spacer fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the cement slurry is subsequent to injecting the cement spacer fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement spacer fluid forms a gel after injected into the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement spacer fluid prevent mixing of the cement slurry with a wellbore fluid.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the wellbore fluid is a drilling fluid.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising injecting the wellbore fluid prior to injecting the cement spacer fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid is water or a brine.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched C 1-20 alkyl group or a C 1-20 hydroxyalkyl group.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R4 is a C 1-5 hydroxyalkyl group.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement slurry sets forming a cement plug.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscosifier comprises dilutan.

13. A cement spacer fluid comprising:

about 30 to about 100 wt % of an aqueous carrier comprising water;

about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of a quaternary surfactant having a cation of R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 N + and an anion, wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched C 1-30 alkyl group, a C 7-30 alkylbenzyl group, a C 7-30 arylalkyl group, a straight or branched C 3-30 alkenyl group, a C 1-30 hydroxyalkyl group, a C 7-30 hydroxyalkylbenzyl group, or a polyoxyalkylene group; and the anion comprises a halide, a perchlorate, a thiocyanate, a cyanate, a carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate, an alkyl sulfonate, PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , SbF 6 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , SO 4 − , or BX 4 − , X being a halide;

about 0.05 to about 10 wt % of a viscosifier comprising guar gums, guar derivatives, hydratable polysaccharides, xanthan gum, galactomannan gums, glucomannan gums, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, poly((meth)acrylic acid)s, poly((meth)acrylamides), copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylamide, C1-8 alkyl poly(meth)acrylates, or clays or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing viscosifiers; and

about 1 to about 65 wt % of a proppant,

each based on the weight of water in the cement spacer fluid, the proppant comprising ceramic particles, sand, a nut shell, gravel, glass, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

14. The cement spacer fluid of claim 13 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently a straight or branched C 1-20 alkyl group or a C 1-20 hydroxyalkyl group.

15. The cement spacer fluid of claim 13 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is a C 1-5 hydroxyalkyl group.

16. The cement spacer fluid of claim 13 , wherein the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

17. The cement spacer fluid of claim 13 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R4 is a C 1-5 hydroxyalkyl group, and the cation is N,N,N-trimethylethanolammonium.

18. The cement spacer fluid of claim 13 , wherein the viscosifier comprises dilutan.