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. 26, 2006
Filed:
Feb. 03, 2004
Robert L. Horton, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Bethicia Prasek, Houston, TX (US);
Frank E. Evans, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Taylor Green, Houston, TX (US);
Mark Luyster, Houston, TX (US);
Steve Mason, Katy, TX (US);
Robert L. Horton, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Bethicia Prasek, Houston, TX (US);
Frank E. Evans, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Taylor Green, Houston, TX (US);
Mark Luyster, Houston, TX (US);
Steve Mason, Katy, TX (US);
M-I LLC, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method of controlling and delaying the inversion of a drilling fluid and the wettability of a filtercake by using a delayed phase changing agent. The filtercake is preferably formed while drilling a subterranean formation using a drilling fluid includes: an oleaginous fluid; a non-oleaginous fluid; an amine surfactant having the structure: wherein R is a C–Caliphatic hydrocarbon; R' is an independently selectable from hydrogen or Cto Calkyl; A is NH or O, and 1≦x+y≦3. In the method, the filter cake is exposed to a delayed phase changing agent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amine acids, salts of aliphatic amine acids and combinations thereof. In one preferred illustrative embodiment, the delayed phase changing agent is delivered in the form of a pill, the pill including a carrier fluid, a viscosifier and the delayed phase changing agent. The delayed phase changing agent may be selected from ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, alkali metal salts of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and combinations of these and similar compounds.