Methods for producing emulsifiers for oil-based drilling fluids

1. A method for making an emulsifier, the method comprising:

mixing a tall oil component and a triamide component to produce a mixture; and

spray drying the mixture to produce a spray dried emulsifier, wherein:

(a) the tall oil component comprises a tall oil;

(b) the triamide component comprises a triamide having the chemical formula:

wherein:

x, y, and z are integers independently selected from 1 to 10,

R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl,

R 2 is H or

 independently selected for each [(CH 2 ) x NR 2 (CH 2 ) y ] unit, wherein R 4 is a C 1 -C 3 alkylene or a C 1 -C 3 alkylene alcohol, and wherein at least one R 2 is

 and

R 3 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl; and

(c) a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the tall oil component comprises a tall oil; and

(b) the triamide component comprises a triamide having the chemical formula:

wherein:

x, y, and z are integers independently selected from 1 to 10,

R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl,

R 2 is H or

 independently selected for each [(CH 2 ) x NR 2 (CH 2 ) y ] unit, wherein R 4 is a C 1 -C 3 alkylene or a C 1 -C 3 alkylene alcohol, and wherein at least one R 2 is

 and

R 3 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkali metal salt of the triamide, an alkaline earth metal salt of the triamide, or a mixture thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkali metal salt of the triamide.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein R 4 is an ethanediyl group (—CH 2 CH 2 —).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkaline earth metal salt of the triamide.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein R 4 is an ethanediyl group (—CH 2 CH 2 —).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tall oil component comprises an alkali metal salt of a tall oil.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tall oil component comprises an alkaline earth metal salt of a tall oil.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsifier is a spray dried emulsifier and has an average particle size of about 1 μm to about 75 μm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tall oil comprises a crude tall oil, a distillate tall oil, a tall oil bottoms, or a mixture thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tall oil component comprises a modified tall oil produced by reacting a tall oil and an α,β unsaturated carboxylic acid or an α,β unsaturated acid anhydride.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tall oil component comprises a mixture of a first tall oil distillate fraction and a second tall oil distillate fraction comprising about 45 wt % to about 90 wt % of fatty acids and about 10 wt % to about 55 wt % of rosin acids, based on the combined weight of the first tall oil distillate fraction and the second tall oil distillate fraction.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triamide component is produced by reacting a diamidoamine with a saturated dicarboxylic acid, a saturated acid anhydride, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the tall oil component is produced by reacting a tall oil and an α,β unsaturated carboxylic acid or an α,β unsaturated acid anhydride.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the saturated dicarboxylic acid includes at least one of succinic acid, malic acid, and glutaric acid; or

the saturated acid anhydride includes at least one of succinic anhydride and glutaric anhydride.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising neutralizing the mixture to produce a neutralized mixture, wherein the neutralized mixture is spray dried to produce the spray dried emulsifier.

17. A drilling fluid, comprising: an oil phase; an aqueous phase, and a spray dried emulsifier produced according to claim 1 .

18. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein: the oil phase comprises paraffins, olefins, aromatics, naphthalenes, or a mixture thereof, the aqueous phase comprises a brine solution containing sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, or a mixture thereof, the triamide component comprises an alkali metal salt of a triamide, an alkaline earth metal salt of a triamide, or a mixture thereof, and the tall oil component comprises an alkali metal salt of a tall oil, an alkaline earth metal salt of a tall oil, or a mixture thereof.

19. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the drilling fluid comprises about 0.2 wt % to about 5 wt % of the spray dried emulsifier and about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % of the aqueous phase, based on a combined weight of the oil phase, the aqueous phase, and the spray dried emulsifier.

20. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein:

(a) the tall oil component comprises a tall oil; and

(b) the triamide component comprises a triamide having the chemical formula:

wherein:

x, y, and z are integers independently selected from 1 to 10,

R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl,

R 2 is H or

 independently selected for each [(CH 2 ) x NR 2 (CH 2 ) y ] unit, wherein R 4 is a C 1 -C 3 alkylene or a C 1 -C 3 alkylene alcohol, and wherein at least one R 2 is

 and

R 3 is a C 8 -C 20 alkyl, a C 8 -C 20 alkenyl, a C 8 -C 20 dialkenyl, or a C 8 -C 20 alkynyl.

21. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkali metal salt of the triamide, an alkaline earth metal salt of the triamide, or a mixture thereof.

22. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkali metal salt of the triamide and R 4 is an ethanediyl group (—CH 2 CH 2 —).

23. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the triamide component comprises an alkaline earth metal salt of the triamide and R 4 is an ethanediyl group (—CH 2 CH 2 —).

24. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the tall oil component comprises an alkali metal salt of a tall oil or an alkaline earth metal salt of a tall oil.

25. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the emulsifier is a spray dried emulsifier and has an average particle size of about 1 μm to about 75 μm.

26. The drilling fluid of claim 17 , wherein the tall oil comprises a crude tall oil, a distillate tall oil, a tall oil bottoms, or a mixture thereof.

27. The method of claim 17 , wherein the tall oil component comprises a modified tall oil produced by reacting a tall oil and an α,β unsaturated carboxylic acid or an α,β unsaturated acid anhydride.

28. The method of claim 17 , wherein the tall oil component comprises a mixture of a first tall oil distillate fraction and a second tall oil distillate fraction comprising about 45 wt % to about 90 wt % of fatty acids and about 10 wt % to about 55 wt % of rosin acids, based on the combined weight of the first tall oil distillate fraction and the second tall oil distillate fraction.

29. The method of claim 17 , wherein the triamide component is produced by reacting a diamidoamine with a saturated dicarboxylic acid, a saturated acid anhydride, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the tall oil component is produced by reacting a tall oil and an α,β unsaturated carboxylic acid or an α,β unsaturated acid anhydride.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein:

the saturated dicarboxylic acid includes at least one of succinic acid, malic acid, and glutaric acid; or

the saturated acid anhydride includes at least one of succinic anhydride and glutaric anhydride.

31. The method of claim 1 , further comprising neutralizing the mixture to produce a neutralized mixture, wherein the neutralized mixture is spray dried to produce the spray dried emulsifier.