Dresser Industries, Inc.

Paul H Javora

Emanuel Stamatakis

Thomas E Sample, Jr

Bethel Q Green

A novel process for making solutions of alkaline-earth metal salts of alkaryl sulfonic acids that contain about 1.5 to less than three weight percent water and that does not require an azeotropic distillation step to reduce the water of the reaction product to this level, comprises reacting an alkaryl sulfonic acid with alkaline-earth metal oxide in an organic solvent in the presence of 0.05 to less than 2.5 weight percent water. Calcium oxide, alkylbenzene sulfonic acids wherein the alkyl groups contain 10 to 14 carbon atoms, solvent mixtures of lower alkanols and non-polar hydrocarbon solvents all are representative of materials useful in the process of the invention, wherein the alkyl benzene sulfonic acid is preferably proportioned into a mixture of the other reactants and the water is supplied in admixture with a small amount of a calcium alkylbenzene sulfonate.

Process for making alkaline-earth metal salts of alkaryl sulfonic acids

A drilling fluid additive effective as a viscosity controlling agent is composed of complex titanium or zirconium lignosulfonates and/or salts of lignosulfonic acid. Alternatively, the additive may be a titanium-iron lignosulfonate and/or salt or lignosulfonic acid or a zirconium-iron lignosulfonate and/or salt of lignosulfonic acid. The additive is effective with the lignin component of the lignosulfonate being in either oxidized or unoxidized form.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Paul H Javora