CA1084251A - Drilling fluid lubricant - Google Patents
Drilling fluid lubricantInfo
- Publication number
- CA1084251A CA1084251A CA285,986A CA285986A CA1084251A CA 1084251 A CA1084251 A CA 1084251A CA 285986 A CA285986 A CA 285986A CA 1084251 A CA1084251 A CA 1084251A
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- beads
- drilling
- spheres
- drill string
- range
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A method wherein spherical plastic beads are added to a drilling mud to reduce torque and drag on the drill string and to otherwise enable smooth drilling operations downhole by acting as a lubricant between the drill string, drill bit, and the well bore by reducing friction therebetween.
A method wherein spherical plastic beads are added to a drilling mud to reduce torque and drag on the drill string and to otherwise enable smooth drilling operations downhole by acting as a lubricant between the drill string, drill bit, and the well bore by reducing friction therebetween.
Description
h, ;LC3~
This invention relates to a new and :improved method for reducing torque, drag, and wear on casing and drill string~ used in the drilling of an oil well.
There are other important features relating thereto, some of which are set forth more fully hereinbelow in the specification.
It is suggested in U. S. Patent 3,216,933, issued November 9, 1956 to Park et al, that hard particu- -late materials be employed in drilling fluid to prevent sticking of drill pipe. ~he examples given of such mat- -erials are steel shot, aluminum shot, sand, walnut shells, ~-plastic and the like. Steel and aluminum shot have rela-tively high specific gravities and will tend to settle ou-t in muds of normal weight. This can be particularly troublesome when circulation ceases for one reason or another because there is then the possibility that the shot will settle out of the mud in the drill string into the bit. In certain cases, this can result in plugging of the bit. U. S. Patent 2,943,679, issued July 5, 1960 to Scott, Jr. et al, suggests the use of walnut shells and hard ~ 2 ~
1~4Z5~ . ;
pla~tic~ in a drilling fluic~-~or decrea~ing the frictional drag on a drilling string. However, in both patents, these particu-late materials are descrlbed a.~ being ~ground~ and hence are necessarily irregular in shape.
sriefly~ the present invention relate~ to a new and improved method in the use o~ plastic beads or spheres in a well to reduce the friction in th0 well bore occurring between the rotating drill string and dri~f bit and the sides of the well bore and/or well bore casing adjacent thereto.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, ~here is provided the method of drilling a well comprising rotating a drill string to cut a bore hold in the earth;
circulatin~ a drilling mud down through the drill string ~ ;
and thence up to the annulu~ between the drill string and the wall of the hole.
adding solid pla~tic beads to the drilling mud to prevent torque from elevating to an undesirably high level said beads being smooth-surface spheres with a screen si.ze within the range of 10 to 100 mesh;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about l~S, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well condition~ both chemically and physically and (iii) hav-ing phy~ical properties such that there i9 no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation~
A drilling mud is a mixture of water, clays and various treating agenks which control the physical or rheo~
logical properties of the drilling mud in a well bore.
In the ~rilling of a well, the obvious objective is to normally produce hydrocarbons, water, or the like and the , ~ ;
~Q~s~
drilling mud ~erves the function o~ removing the chip~ or cuttings, which are produced by the rotatîng drill bit, rom the well bore by circulating drilling mud down from the surface of the well through the drill string and out through openings in the drill bit such that the drilling mud iB then circulated upwardly in the annulus between the side of the 3a-L_'. . ~;`
. . . . .
z~ ~
well bore and the rotating drill strincJ.
One of the objectives of a drilling mud 1~
to reduce friction or provide a lubricating medium for the drill hit and the drill pipe to work in while drillin~ the well bore.
Friction is normally defined as a relative r~sistance to motion of touching suraces. In the ~rilling of well ~ores, friction must be overc~me by lubricating and thus enabling the surfaces which are creating undesirable friction to appropriately move or glide over one another. Some materials which are presently being considered as lubricating materials for use with drilling mud to help in reducing friction are water, diesel oil, vegetable oil, detergents, bentonite clays, alcohols, gilsonite, a~phaltice materials, cellulose materials, polymers, dextrose materials, glycerins and amines.
Applicant has found that the addition of plastice beads~ of the character more fully described below, to a drilling mud substantially reduces the friction between tha drill bit, drill string and the well bore. Thus, according to applicant's method, the drill string is rotated to cut a bore hole into the earth while circulating a drilling fluid down through the drill string and thence up to the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole. While this is occurring, the torque required to rotate the drill string is observed and when the torque becomes undesirably high, sufficient of the plastic beads are ~8~
added to reduce the torque.
In many instances, the optimum amount o~
plastic beads will be determined in the field on a well to well basis. Thus, if a clriller observes that the torque is increasiny to an undesirably high level, he can begin adding heads until the torque is reduced to a level which is accep-table to him. Normally, a minimum addition and maintenance of four pound per barrel (1.5 percent by volume) of the beads in the mud will he required to cause a substantial reduction in torque. Adding and maintaining amounts greater than four pounds yer barrel will, in many cases, affect a further reduction in torque. The maximum amount which can be added or maintained is dependent upon economics in that, for any given well, the cost of adding addi-tional beads is not justified by the further reduction in torque.
It will be appreciated that the concentration of beads in the mud cake may be higher ~han that added to or maintained in the mud inasmuch as the beads tend to concentrate in the mud cake. One la~oratory test has indicated that effective torque reduction is accomplished only after a bead concentration in the mud cake has exceeded an equivalent of 30 pounds per barrel.
Also, in this particular in~tance, additions beyond an equivalent of 40 pounds per barrel does not materially reduce the torque. When a well being drilled without the beads being present encounters excessive torque~
the well can be "slug" treated, as by adding 10 pounds ~5~
s~
per harrel o~ the beads, to rapidly reduce the torque and then the lowered torque can be maintained by main-taininy about 4 ~ounds per barrel of l)eads in thc mud whlle drilling ahead.
The size of the beads can vary over a .sub-stantial ranye such as from 10 to 100 mesh (Tyler standard screen size). A ~referred range is 40 to 60 rnesh. The preferred bead is one that is available commercially and consists of a copolymer of divinyl benzene and styrene. These beads exist in the size range of 10 to 100 mesh. The maximum size of the bead should be such that the beads will pass through the shale shaker. The particle size distribution within these ranges is not usually of sufficient significance to warrant any particular attention.
The chemical composition and polymeric structure of the beads should be such that they will not crush in actual operation in tha well. They must be solid; insoluble in oil and water; be stable at bottom hole temperatures ranging up to, for example, 250 degrees F.; be inert, both chemically and phy~ically, to well fluids; and should have a specific ~ravity within the range of 1.1 to l.S. In this latter aonnection, beads having a specific gravity substantially greater than l.S may tend to settle out in the lighter weight drilling muds in the event that circulation ceasesO
The heavier beads will also tend to settle out in the mud pits. ~ ;
~:, The plastic beads should be in the sh~pe of subst~ntially perect spheres. It is believed that the spherical shape is important in providing the torque reducing properties of the beads, thus when two metal surfaces tend to rub against each other, as a ~rill pipe against a casing or against a hard shale, the round spheres existing between such surfaces are thought to act in the nature of ball bearings to reduce the contact between the hard surfaces. Examination of returned mud cake particles under magnification has shown that the beads appear to be partially imbe~ded in the surface of the mud cake leaving exposed a semi-spherical surface for contact with the drill string~
Obsexvation of this type of filter cake would lead one to believe that there exists many hundreds of these tiny protuberances of beads for each foot of bore hole.
Examination of "gumbo" shale returns has -~
revealed the cuttings to be partially coated with beads.
This leads one ~o believe, and evidence has been noted, that the beads tend to prevent such shale from balling up bits and stabilizers.
It has also been found that the use o the new and improved method using beads as aforesaid reduces drill pipe and casing wear especially in high angle directional wells by preventing metal to metal contact by the spherical beads. Such beads form a layer or sheath between such metals to thereby reduce ~riction.
In this latter connection, one directional .
~8~12~i~
~ell was being drilled with a dowllhole turbo-drill, and, in normal operation, it took two days to make fifteen feet of hole. }lowever, when four pounds per barrel of these plastic beads were added, the drillin~
rate increased to 15 feet per hourO
In like manner, it has been found that the addition of such plastic beads, which will not melt under high temperatures, is useful in improving wir~line operations which must be performed downhole, such as well logging, by enabling the logging tool to slide on the surfaces, provided by the various plastic spheres.
Further, the addition of these spheres reduces "wireline drag" both in cased well bores and open well bores.
Applicant further discovered that the use of such beads in a well bore may he further aided with other mud lubricants, such as vegetable oil, such that the beads are suspended in vegetable oil and circulated in the well bore mixed with the drilling mud to further provide the improved properties stated hereinabove.
As a further example of applicant's use, the following examples have been disclosed by applicant as showing the new, use~ul and unobvious properties of applicant's invention.
Example One A drilling operator who was drilling an oil well, had "high torque and drag problems" on an off-shore well and called for assistance.
. :
5~
The well being drilled was a 37~ directional well h~ving several offsets or doglegs. The ~7ell was a 9 7/8" hole being drillcd at 11,200 feet with 4,000 feet of 10 3/4" surface casing set. The measured total depth of the well was to be 13,400 feet and the tor~ue had already reached 850 amps on a conventional torque gauge. The torque was such that the operator was ~arely turning or rotating the drill pipe. Plastic beads were added to the mud which was pumped through the drill pipe and reached the casing whereupon the ;~
torque immediately dropped to 600-650 amps and the rotary speed increased 20 revolutions per minute. The well was drilled the remaining 2,000 feet to completion using the plastic beads.
Example Two The same drilling operator in another well had approximately 13,000 feet of casing set and arrange-ments had already been made to displace the present mud with an oil base mud hecause the torque and drag con-ditions were thought to be too severe for t.he subject plastice beads to provide the needed reduction in torque.
The system was "slug" treated with five percent by volume of the drilling mud with plastic beads and 300 barrels of mud. As soon as the bead laden mud reached ~ ?
the annulus of the well bore, the torque began to drop and the penetration rate of the drilling string increased by fift~ percent. The well was treated to completion at 18,000 feet with the subject beads and upon completion, : _g_ ,: .. .
~1~35 ql251 t}le m~ld system contained 1 3/4percent by volum~ of the beads in relation to the drilling mud.
x~ Three The same drillin~ operator was drilling a well in South Louisiana with an excessive torque pro-blem rela~ive to rota~ion of the drill string downholeO
This was a directional well which demanded a high rotary revolution per minu~e (rpm) in order to maintain the direction desired. The tor~ue was being indicated as 650-750 amps on the torque gauge with 180 rpm rotary speed. The depth of the well at that time was 8,000 feet and the casing was set for 3,300 feet. Plastic beads were added at 1 1/2 percent by volume of the mud system and the tor~ue dropped immediately to 550-600 amps. In this well, excessive "balling" or build up of shales and clays on the stabilizers and drill collars was also eliminated by the subject beads and the well was successfully completed.
.~ .
An oil company had a well being drilled in South Louisiana, with extreme torque and drag problems relative to the drill string and drill bit. In this instance, the rotary table would actually stop turning while in high gear. In addition, the drill pipe rubbers would also have to be replaced after each "trip" with the drill bit. An 'lintermediate" string of casing was set to 9,000 feet to attempt to help to eliminate the torque problem~ The drilling operator went in the hole with S~ , 4 ~/4" drill pipe and could not turn the pipe. The operator pulled out of the hole and replaced the 4 l/A"
pipe with 3 1/2" pipe ~ut the torque was 750 amps and was twisting the drill p~pe and the possibility of twistiny the drill in two existed. Dicsel, graphite and other popular ~orque reducers had been added with no improvement or with no reduction of torque and drag on the drill string. Plastice beads were ad~ed ~t two percent per volume of the drilling mud and the torque dropped to 600-625 amps as indicated on the torque indicator and the well was drilled to completion.
In the foregoing examples, tha plastic beads were a copolyer of divinyl benzene and styrene, were of a mesh ranging from 10 to 100 and were spherical in shape throughout.
: :
This invention relates to a new and :improved method for reducing torque, drag, and wear on casing and drill string~ used in the drilling of an oil well.
There are other important features relating thereto, some of which are set forth more fully hereinbelow in the specification.
It is suggested in U. S. Patent 3,216,933, issued November 9, 1956 to Park et al, that hard particu- -late materials be employed in drilling fluid to prevent sticking of drill pipe. ~he examples given of such mat- -erials are steel shot, aluminum shot, sand, walnut shells, ~-plastic and the like. Steel and aluminum shot have rela-tively high specific gravities and will tend to settle ou-t in muds of normal weight. This can be particularly troublesome when circulation ceases for one reason or another because there is then the possibility that the shot will settle out of the mud in the drill string into the bit. In certain cases, this can result in plugging of the bit. U. S. Patent 2,943,679, issued July 5, 1960 to Scott, Jr. et al, suggests the use of walnut shells and hard ~ 2 ~
1~4Z5~ . ;
pla~tic~ in a drilling fluic~-~or decrea~ing the frictional drag on a drilling string. However, in both patents, these particu-late materials are descrlbed a.~ being ~ground~ and hence are necessarily irregular in shape.
sriefly~ the present invention relate~ to a new and improved method in the use o~ plastic beads or spheres in a well to reduce the friction in th0 well bore occurring between the rotating drill string and dri~f bit and the sides of the well bore and/or well bore casing adjacent thereto.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, ~here is provided the method of drilling a well comprising rotating a drill string to cut a bore hold in the earth;
circulatin~ a drilling mud down through the drill string ~ ;
and thence up to the annulu~ between the drill string and the wall of the hole.
adding solid pla~tic beads to the drilling mud to prevent torque from elevating to an undesirably high level said beads being smooth-surface spheres with a screen si.ze within the range of 10 to 100 mesh;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about l~S, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well condition~ both chemically and physically and (iii) hav-ing phy~ical properties such that there i9 no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation~
A drilling mud is a mixture of water, clays and various treating agenks which control the physical or rheo~
logical properties of the drilling mud in a well bore.
In the ~rilling of a well, the obvious objective is to normally produce hydrocarbons, water, or the like and the , ~ ;
~Q~s~
drilling mud ~erves the function o~ removing the chip~ or cuttings, which are produced by the rotatîng drill bit, rom the well bore by circulating drilling mud down from the surface of the well through the drill string and out through openings in the drill bit such that the drilling mud iB then circulated upwardly in the annulus between the side of the 3a-L_'. . ~;`
. . . . .
z~ ~
well bore and the rotating drill strincJ.
One of the objectives of a drilling mud 1~
to reduce friction or provide a lubricating medium for the drill hit and the drill pipe to work in while drillin~ the well bore.
Friction is normally defined as a relative r~sistance to motion of touching suraces. In the ~rilling of well ~ores, friction must be overc~me by lubricating and thus enabling the surfaces which are creating undesirable friction to appropriately move or glide over one another. Some materials which are presently being considered as lubricating materials for use with drilling mud to help in reducing friction are water, diesel oil, vegetable oil, detergents, bentonite clays, alcohols, gilsonite, a~phaltice materials, cellulose materials, polymers, dextrose materials, glycerins and amines.
Applicant has found that the addition of plastice beads~ of the character more fully described below, to a drilling mud substantially reduces the friction between tha drill bit, drill string and the well bore. Thus, according to applicant's method, the drill string is rotated to cut a bore hole into the earth while circulating a drilling fluid down through the drill string and thence up to the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole. While this is occurring, the torque required to rotate the drill string is observed and when the torque becomes undesirably high, sufficient of the plastic beads are ~8~
added to reduce the torque.
In many instances, the optimum amount o~
plastic beads will be determined in the field on a well to well basis. Thus, if a clriller observes that the torque is increasiny to an undesirably high level, he can begin adding heads until the torque is reduced to a level which is accep-table to him. Normally, a minimum addition and maintenance of four pound per barrel (1.5 percent by volume) of the beads in the mud will he required to cause a substantial reduction in torque. Adding and maintaining amounts greater than four pounds yer barrel will, in many cases, affect a further reduction in torque. The maximum amount which can be added or maintained is dependent upon economics in that, for any given well, the cost of adding addi-tional beads is not justified by the further reduction in torque.
It will be appreciated that the concentration of beads in the mud cake may be higher ~han that added to or maintained in the mud inasmuch as the beads tend to concentrate in the mud cake. One la~oratory test has indicated that effective torque reduction is accomplished only after a bead concentration in the mud cake has exceeded an equivalent of 30 pounds per barrel.
Also, in this particular in~tance, additions beyond an equivalent of 40 pounds per barrel does not materially reduce the torque. When a well being drilled without the beads being present encounters excessive torque~
the well can be "slug" treated, as by adding 10 pounds ~5~
s~
per harrel o~ the beads, to rapidly reduce the torque and then the lowered torque can be maintained by main-taininy about 4 ~ounds per barrel of l)eads in thc mud whlle drilling ahead.
The size of the beads can vary over a .sub-stantial ranye such as from 10 to 100 mesh (Tyler standard screen size). A ~referred range is 40 to 60 rnesh. The preferred bead is one that is available commercially and consists of a copolymer of divinyl benzene and styrene. These beads exist in the size range of 10 to 100 mesh. The maximum size of the bead should be such that the beads will pass through the shale shaker. The particle size distribution within these ranges is not usually of sufficient significance to warrant any particular attention.
The chemical composition and polymeric structure of the beads should be such that they will not crush in actual operation in tha well. They must be solid; insoluble in oil and water; be stable at bottom hole temperatures ranging up to, for example, 250 degrees F.; be inert, both chemically and phy~ically, to well fluids; and should have a specific ~ravity within the range of 1.1 to l.S. In this latter aonnection, beads having a specific gravity substantially greater than l.S may tend to settle out in the lighter weight drilling muds in the event that circulation ceasesO
The heavier beads will also tend to settle out in the mud pits. ~ ;
~:, The plastic beads should be in the sh~pe of subst~ntially perect spheres. It is believed that the spherical shape is important in providing the torque reducing properties of the beads, thus when two metal surfaces tend to rub against each other, as a ~rill pipe against a casing or against a hard shale, the round spheres existing between such surfaces are thought to act in the nature of ball bearings to reduce the contact between the hard surfaces. Examination of returned mud cake particles under magnification has shown that the beads appear to be partially imbe~ded in the surface of the mud cake leaving exposed a semi-spherical surface for contact with the drill string~
Obsexvation of this type of filter cake would lead one to believe that there exists many hundreds of these tiny protuberances of beads for each foot of bore hole.
Examination of "gumbo" shale returns has -~
revealed the cuttings to be partially coated with beads.
This leads one ~o believe, and evidence has been noted, that the beads tend to prevent such shale from balling up bits and stabilizers.
It has also been found that the use o the new and improved method using beads as aforesaid reduces drill pipe and casing wear especially in high angle directional wells by preventing metal to metal contact by the spherical beads. Such beads form a layer or sheath between such metals to thereby reduce ~riction.
In this latter connection, one directional .
~8~12~i~
~ell was being drilled with a dowllhole turbo-drill, and, in normal operation, it took two days to make fifteen feet of hole. }lowever, when four pounds per barrel of these plastic beads were added, the drillin~
rate increased to 15 feet per hourO
In like manner, it has been found that the addition of such plastic beads, which will not melt under high temperatures, is useful in improving wir~line operations which must be performed downhole, such as well logging, by enabling the logging tool to slide on the surfaces, provided by the various plastic spheres.
Further, the addition of these spheres reduces "wireline drag" both in cased well bores and open well bores.
Applicant further discovered that the use of such beads in a well bore may he further aided with other mud lubricants, such as vegetable oil, such that the beads are suspended in vegetable oil and circulated in the well bore mixed with the drilling mud to further provide the improved properties stated hereinabove.
As a further example of applicant's use, the following examples have been disclosed by applicant as showing the new, use~ul and unobvious properties of applicant's invention.
Example One A drilling operator who was drilling an oil well, had "high torque and drag problems" on an off-shore well and called for assistance.
. :
5~
The well being drilled was a 37~ directional well h~ving several offsets or doglegs. The ~7ell was a 9 7/8" hole being drillcd at 11,200 feet with 4,000 feet of 10 3/4" surface casing set. The measured total depth of the well was to be 13,400 feet and the tor~ue had already reached 850 amps on a conventional torque gauge. The torque was such that the operator was ~arely turning or rotating the drill pipe. Plastic beads were added to the mud which was pumped through the drill pipe and reached the casing whereupon the ;~
torque immediately dropped to 600-650 amps and the rotary speed increased 20 revolutions per minute. The well was drilled the remaining 2,000 feet to completion using the plastic beads.
Example Two The same drilling operator in another well had approximately 13,000 feet of casing set and arrange-ments had already been made to displace the present mud with an oil base mud hecause the torque and drag con-ditions were thought to be too severe for t.he subject plastice beads to provide the needed reduction in torque.
The system was "slug" treated with five percent by volume of the drilling mud with plastic beads and 300 barrels of mud. As soon as the bead laden mud reached ~ ?
the annulus of the well bore, the torque began to drop and the penetration rate of the drilling string increased by fift~ percent. The well was treated to completion at 18,000 feet with the subject beads and upon completion, : _g_ ,: .. .
~1~35 ql251 t}le m~ld system contained 1 3/4percent by volum~ of the beads in relation to the drilling mud.
x~ Three The same drillin~ operator was drilling a well in South Louisiana with an excessive torque pro-blem rela~ive to rota~ion of the drill string downholeO
This was a directional well which demanded a high rotary revolution per minu~e (rpm) in order to maintain the direction desired. The tor~ue was being indicated as 650-750 amps on the torque gauge with 180 rpm rotary speed. The depth of the well at that time was 8,000 feet and the casing was set for 3,300 feet. Plastic beads were added at 1 1/2 percent by volume of the mud system and the tor~ue dropped immediately to 550-600 amps. In this well, excessive "balling" or build up of shales and clays on the stabilizers and drill collars was also eliminated by the subject beads and the well was successfully completed.
.~ .
An oil company had a well being drilled in South Louisiana, with extreme torque and drag problems relative to the drill string and drill bit. In this instance, the rotary table would actually stop turning while in high gear. In addition, the drill pipe rubbers would also have to be replaced after each "trip" with the drill bit. An 'lintermediate" string of casing was set to 9,000 feet to attempt to help to eliminate the torque problem~ The drilling operator went in the hole with S~ , 4 ~/4" drill pipe and could not turn the pipe. The operator pulled out of the hole and replaced the 4 l/A"
pipe with 3 1/2" pipe ~ut the torque was 750 amps and was twisting the drill p~pe and the possibility of twistiny the drill in two existed. Dicsel, graphite and other popular ~orque reducers had been added with no improvement or with no reduction of torque and drag on the drill string. Plastice beads were ad~ed ~t two percent per volume of the drilling mud and the torque dropped to 600-625 amps as indicated on the torque indicator and the well was drilled to completion.
In the foregoing examples, tha plastic beads were a copolyer of divinyl benzene and styrene, were of a mesh ranging from 10 to 100 and were spherical in shape throughout.
: :
Claims (9)
1. The method of drilling a well comprising rotating a drill string to cut a bore hole in the earth;
circulating a drilling mud down through the drill string and thence up to the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole;
adding solid plastic beads to the drilling mud to prevent torque from elevating to an undesirably high level;
said beads being smooth-surface spheres with a screen size within the range of 10 to 100 mesh;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemically and physically and (iii) hav-ing physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation.
circulating a drilling mud down through the drill string and thence up to the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole;
adding solid plastic beads to the drilling mud to prevent torque from elevating to an undesirably high level;
said beads being smooth-surface spheres with a screen size within the range of 10 to 100 mesh;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemically and physically and (iii) hav-ing physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spheres have a screen size within the range of 40 to 60 mesh.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of beads added is at least 4 pounds per barrel.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the spheres have a screen size within the range of 40 to 60 mesh.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the beads are made from a copolymer of divinyl benzene and syrene.
6. The method of drilling a well comprising rotating a drill string to cut a bore hole in the earth while using a drilling mud, adding solid plastic beads to the drilling mud in an amount sufficient to prevent torque from elevating to an un-desired level and to form a sheath on the wall of the bore hole with the beads embedded therein to thereby so reduce such friction;
said beads being smooth-surfaced spheres with a screen size range of from 10 to 100 mesh but sufficiently small to pass through any shale shaker being used in the drilling operation;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemically and physically and (iii) having physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation.
said beads being smooth-surfaced spheres with a screen size range of from 10 to 100 mesh but sufficiently small to pass through any shale shaker being used in the drilling operation;
said spheres being made of a plastic material (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemically and physically and (iii) having physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads during the drilling operation.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the spheres have a screen size within the range of 40 to 60 mesh and the amount added to the drilling fluid is at least 4 pounds per barrel.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the beads are made from a copolymer of divinyl benzene and styrene.
9. The method of drilling a well comprising rotating a drill string to cut a bore hole into the earth;
circulating a typical drilling mud through the drill string and thence up through the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole;
adding 4 to 10 pounds per barrel of solid plastic beads through a mud hopper and mixing them with the typical drilling mud and circulating the resulting mixture through the drill pipe, out the bit, and up the bore hole annulus thereby reduc-ing the torque required to turn the drill string;
said beads being round spheres with a screen size within the range of 10 to 100 mesh, the mesh size being determined by the mesh size of the rig shaker so that the beads will pass through the shaker screen and remain in the drilling mud to be recirculated, the point being to keep the beads in the drill-ing for recirculating;
said spheres (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemi-cally and physically, and (iii) having physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads dur-ing the drilling operation.
circulating a typical drilling mud through the drill string and thence up through the annulus between the drill string and the wall of the hole;
adding 4 to 10 pounds per barrel of solid plastic beads through a mud hopper and mixing them with the typical drilling mud and circulating the resulting mixture through the drill pipe, out the bit, and up the bore hole annulus thereby reduc-ing the torque required to turn the drill string;
said beads being round spheres with a screen size within the range of 10 to 100 mesh, the mesh size being determined by the mesh size of the rig shaker so that the beads will pass through the shaker screen and remain in the drilling mud to be recirculated, the point being to keep the beads in the drill-ing for recirculating;
said spheres (i) having a specific gravity within the range of about 1.1 to about 1.5, (ii) being solid, insoluble in oil and water and stable under well conditions both chemi-cally and physically, and (iii) having physical properties such that there is no substantial crushing of the beads dur-ing the drilling operation.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US05/770,590 US4063603A (en) | 1976-09-02 | 1977-02-22 | Drilling fluid lubricant |
| US770,590 | 1985-08-29 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1084251A true CA1084251A (en) | 1980-08-26 |
Family
ID=25089077
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA285,986A Expired CA1084251A (en) | 1977-02-22 | 1977-09-01 | Drilling fluid lubricant |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1084251A (en) |
-
1977
- 1977-09-01 CA CA285,986A patent/CA1084251A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |