The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 10, 2001
Arvind D. Patel, Sugarland, TX (US);
Burnhan Hoxha, Houston, TX (US);
Reginald Bell, Houston, TX (US);
M-I LLC, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
An invert emulsion drilling fluid includes an oleaginous continuous phase; a non-oleaginous discontinuous phase; a biodegradable surfactant including a di-fatty acid ester of triglycerol; and a weighting agent. It is preferred that the fatty acid have the formula RCO H in which R is an alkyl or alkenyl having 10 to 20 carbon atoms. The oleaginous fluid is selected from diesel oil, mineral oil, synthetic oil, ester oils, glycerides of fatty acids, aliphatic esters, aliphatic ethers, aliphatic acetals, or other such hydrocarbons and combinations of these and similar compounds. The non-oleaginous phase is selected from fresh water, sea water, brine, aqueous solutions containing water soluble organic salts, water soluble alcohols or water soluble glycols or combinations of these and similar compounds. The weighting agent is any suitable weighting agent and is preferably selected from water insoluble weighting agents such as barite, calcite, mullite, gallena, manganese oxides, iron oxides, or combinations of these or water soluble weighting agents such as water soluble salts of zinc, iron, barium, calcium or combinations of these and similar compounds.