Phillips Petroleum Company

Other

Jeffrey A Russell

Bharat B Patel

Richard L Clampitt

Patrick Rooney

Terry D Brown

Sulfonated asphalt is produced by heating an asphaltic material, preferably having a softening point between about 315.degree. F. and 350.degree. F., by mixing the asphalt with a solvent, such as hexane, sulfonating the asphalt with a liquid sulfonating agent, such as liquid sulfur trioxide, neutralizing the sulfonic acids with a basic neutralizing agent, such as sodium hydroxide, separating solvent from the sulfonated asphalt, preferably by passing the same through a wiped film evaporator, recovering the evaporated solvent for reuse, preferably by passing the same in indirect heat exchange with a closed cycle refrigerant, recovering solvent from vapors from the sulfonation and neutralization steps by either scrubbing with neutalizing agent or sulfuric acid or by passing the same through fiber-type filter means and, thereafter, passing the same to the refrigeration step and drying the separated, sulfonated asphalt, preferably by passage through a drum dryer, and separating particle-form sulfonated asphalt from the vapors from the drum dryer, preferably by passing the same through a cyclone separator. Preferably the process is a batch-type process in which the rates of flow of the solvent, the asphaltic material, the sulfonating agent and the neutralizing agent and the periods of time prior to withdrawal of the sulfonic acids and the sulfonated asphalt are coordinated in accordance with a predetermined time cycle.

Production of sulfonated asphalt

In an aqueous drilling fluid, an improved thinning effect is obtained by adding a first agent comprising a mixture of a sulfoalkylated tannin or polyvalent metal complex thereof with a lignite, optionally in combination with a second agent comprising a metal compound of chromium, titanium, iron, zinc, strontium or magnesium which is at least partially soluble in water.

Drilling fluid

Sulfonated asphalt/hydrogenated conjugated diene-monovinyl aromatic copolymer compositions, preparations thereof, and use in well working fluid compositions.

Growing community of inventors

Bartlesville, OK, United States of America

Jeffrey A Russell