CA1095227A - Abandoned borehole compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

TITLE:
ABANDONED BOREHOLE COMPOSITIONS

Abstract:

Compositions for boreholes which are to become abandoned and to a process for using the same wherein the compositions contain a mixture of about 89.5% to about 99.4% by weight clay gellant, about 0.5% to about 10% by weight water-soluble alkali metal salt, and about 0.1% to about 3.0% by weight salt of carboxymethylcellulose.

Description

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Thi~s invention relates to compositions for boreholes which are to become abandoned and to a process for using the same.
When relatively shallow wells are drilled with rotary drilling equipment such as in water and gas exploration, mineral exploration, and seismic hole testingr a drilling fluid is generally circulated do~n the drill pipe to the bit and back up the hole to the surface~ The drilling fluid performs many functions which are vital to the success of the drilling process. Generally, the best drilling fluids are aqueous suspensions of suspended solids, such as clay which readily form colloidal dispersions that are stable and low in viscosity.
Upon completion of the drilling process and of the desired exploration or testing procedures, the boreholes have generally been abandoned without any additional treatment to seal the hole. Abandoned boreholes containing the afore~
mentioned drilling fluids, however, have not maintained a stabilized condition. For example, loss of mud to the surrounding formation in exploratory boreholes in New Mexico, U.S.~. have been repeatedly observed with corresponding decreases in filtration control and fluid gel strength.
Environmental regulations have been recently adopted which attempt to prevent continuation of these practices.
One such regulation has been passed in New ~exico which regulation requires an abandoned borehole to contain a mud sys-tem that will maintain a high viscosity while decreasing fluid loss from the borehole over extended periods of time in order to obtain the necessary filtratioIl control and gel 3~ strength to suspend solids and control formation pressures.

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The present invention provides a composition for use in boreholes being abandoned, which composition when used in an aqueous fluid, such as water or an aqueous drilling;
mud system, increases the viscosity of the fluid while it decreases fluid loss after placement throughout the total depth of the borehole.
Thus, the present invention in its broadest aspect relates to a composition for admixture with an aqueous fluid for forming an abandoned borehole mixture which composition essentially comprises about 89.5 to about 99.4~ by weight of a clay gellant selected from the group consisting of sodium forml water swellable, natural and synthetic mont-morillionite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saporite stevensite, and mixtures thereof, about 0.5 to about 10~
by weight water soluble alkali metal salts selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium carbonates, bicarbonates, citrates, oxalates, stearates, and mixtures thereof, and about 0.1 to about 3~ by weight of a water soluble, essentially non-hygroscopic, carboxymethylcellulose 'saltr having a neutral to alkaline pH in water solution and 2a having a degree of substitution in the range of about 0.5 to about 1.5, said carboxymethylcellulose salt being selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, potassium carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof.
The borehole additive compositions of this invention .
are used by adding a sufficient amount of the composition with mixing to an aqueous fluid until the fluids funnel viscosity is raised by at least 10 second/quartr and preferably 20 seconds/quart, and passing the treated fluid into the borehole~

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The compositions are used in sufficient amounts to prepare a colloidal suspension with low unit weight and with suitable viscosity, go~.d gel properties and low filtrate loss. These desirable properties are achieved when the compositions are added to fresh water to prepare a viscous suspension or when added to increase the viscosity of an aqueous mud system already in use in amounts to increase the API funnel viscosity by at least 10 seconds/quart and preferably by at least 20 seconds/quartO It has been found that the necessary API
Eunnel viscosity can be achieved by employing about 1 lb/bbl to 30 lb~bbl (42 gallon barrel) of the composition in the aqueous system.

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The exac~t amount added, however, may vaxy depending on water hardness and existing mud system prope~ties. Besides increas-ing funnel viscosity, the resulting aqueous systems will have a minimum ten minute gel strength of 20 lb/100 sq. ft. and a maximum API filtrate of 15.0 cc/30 min, and preferably 10.0 cc/30 min.
The clays usea to prepare the compositions of this ~ ;
invention are smectite~type clays which have a cation exchange capacity of at least 75 milliequivalents per 100 grams of clay. Particularly desirable types of clay are the naturally-occurring Wyoming varieties of swelling bentonites and like clays, and hectorite, a swelling magnesium-lithium silicate clay.
The clays, especially the bentonite type clays, are preferably converted to the sodium form if they are not already in this form. This can conveniently be done by preparing an aqueous clay slurry and passing the slurry through a bed of cation exchange resin in the sodium form.
Alternatively, the clay can be mixed with water and a soluble ~0 sodium compound such as sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and the like and shearing the mixture with a pugmill or extruder.
Smectite-type clays prepared synthetically by either a pneumatolytic or, preferably a hydrothermal synthesis process can also be used. ~epresentative of such clays are montmoril- ;
lonite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saponite and steven~
site. These clays may be synthesized hydrothermally by forming an a~ueous reaction mixture in the form of a slurry containing mixed hydrous oxides or hydroxides of the desired metals with or without sodium flouride or alternate exchangeable cation of mixture thereof in the proportions for the particular ySf - . .... . . .

5~7 syntheti~c smectite desired. The slurry is then placed in an autoclave and heated under autogenous pressure to a tempera-ture within the range of approximately 100 to 325C, prefer-ably 274 to 300C, for a sufficient period of time to form the desired product. Representati~e hydrothermal processes for preparing synthetic smectites are described in the following United States Patents, U.S. Patents 3,252,757 to Granquist; 3,586,478 to Neumann; 3,666,407 to Orlemann;

3,671,190 to Neumann; 3,844,978 and 3,844,979 to Hickson;
and -3,852~405 and 3,855,147 to Granquist.
The clay gellants are employed in amounts o~ about 89.5 to about 9~4% by weight and preferably about 92.0 to about ~-97.5% by weight of the composition. These amounts of clay gellant are necessary to achieve the requisite gel strengths and funnel viscosities.
The water-soluble alkali metal salts used in the compos-itions of this invention may be selected from a wide range of materials, both inorganic and organic, which are reactive with calcium and magnesium salts and other hardness causing salts to form insoluble compounds. Calbium salts, such as anhydrite or gypsum, seriously impair the suspending and sealing properties of the clay gellants.
The water-soluble alkali metal salts are employed in amounts of about 0.5 to about 10% by weight, and preferably about 2 to about 6% by weight of the composition It has been found that these amounts are sufficient to remove the cations normally present in the solution. Amounts less than 0.5% are not effective in curbing the adverse effects of the hardness cations. Amounts greater than 10% should not be employed since these high amounts may begin to flocculate the clay gellant with resulting loss in filtration control.

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~52~7 The wate~-soluble alkali metal salts useful in the invention are described in U.S. Patent 2,433,668 and are preferably selected from sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium citratel potassium citrate, sodium oxalate, potassium oxalate, sodium stearate and potassium stearate.
The salts of carboxymethylcellulose used in the composi-tion of this invention are preferably selected from potassium and sodium. These materials should be (a) readily soluble in water- or alkali solutions; (b) neutral or alkaline in solution;
(c) non-hygroscopic or essentially non-hygroscopic (d) low in transition metal content, and (e) have a preferred degree of substitutlon from 0.5 to 1.5 and most preferably ~rom 0.6 to 0.~. :
The carboxymethylcellulose is added in sufficient amounts to decrease the fluid filtration rate and cake thickness, yet promote hole stability in water-sensitive formations~ These properties have been achieved when amounts of about 0.1 to about 3.0% by weight, preferably about 0.5 to about 2.0% by weight material is employed in the composition. Amounts less than 0.1% do not provide sufficient yield point and gel strengths. Amounts higher than 3.0%, while maintaining filtration control are not able to maintain a controlled flocculation of the clay gellant.
The compositions of this invention are prepared b~
conventional dry mixing procedures. The method of addition is not critical. It is advisable, however, to obtain a homogenous mixture of the ingredients prior to their dis-persal in the aqueous fluid. The aqueous fluid may be water, or an aqueous mud system, such as a drilling fluid already in use.

i Dispersion is easily accomplished by carrying out mixing in a fluid mud mixer, hopper or other conventional device.
The composition may optionally be dispersed in water prior to mixing with an aqueous mud sys-tem. Once dispersed, the com-positions are circulated throughout the total depth of the borehole. Once circulation is complete, the fluid is allowed to remain in the borehole without additional treatment and the borehole abandoned, providing the necessary increase in funnel viscosity has been achieved. The ability to obtain and main-tain~fluid vlscosities with low filtrate loss in fluids usedin abandoned boreholes has heretofore not been achieved to the level obtained by use of the inventive composition.
The following examples are given to illustrate the invention but are not deemed to be limiting thereof~ All percentages given are based upon weight unless otherwise indicated. All measurements were performed in accordance with the American Petroleum Institutes Standard Procedure .
for Testing Drilling Fluids identified as API RP13B, 6th Ed., ~pril 1976.

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Example 1 Runs 1 to 7 An additive for a borehole being abandoned was prepared by mixing 95~ Wyoming bentonite, 4% sodium carbonate and 1~ ;
sodium carboxymethylcellulose, all percentages are by weight~
This composition was used to treat various drilling fluids used in drilling mineral exploratory boreholes. The results ;~
are set forth in Table 1. The drilling fluids and water in Runs 1 to 4 were from the Churchrock area of New Mexico.
The drilling fluids and water in Runs 5 and 6 were from the Ambrosia Lake area of New Mexico, whereas the drilling fluid in Run 7 was from the Nose Creek area of New Mexico.
The data indicates that fluids prepared with the inventive compositions will have commercially effective minimum ten minute gel strengths and maximum API filtrates for use as : ~ `
borehole abandonment fluids. The blanks in the table rep~

resent those values which were not measured.

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Example 2 Runs 8 to 11 Compositions were prepared contalning various concentra-tions of Wyoming bentonite, sodium carbonate and sodium carboxy~
methylcellulose. The samples were added in amounts of 20 lb/bbl (42 gallon barrel) to deionized water which had been saturated with gypsum and mixed for 20 minutes. The results are set forth in Table II
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

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Claims (7)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A composition for admixture with an aqueous fluid for forming an abandoned borehole mixture which composition essentially comprises about 89.5 to about 99.4% by weight of a clay gellant selected from the group consisting of sodium form, water swellable, natural and synthetic mont-morillionite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saporite, stevensite, and mixtures thereof, about 0.5 to about 10%
by weight water soluble alkali metal salts selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium carbonates, bicarbonates, citrates, oxalates, stearates, and mixtures thereof, and about 0.1 to about 3% by weight of a water soluble, essentially non-hygroscopic, carboxymethylcellu-lose salt, having a neutral to alkaline pH in water solution and having a degree of substitution in the range of about 0.5 to about 1.5, said carboxymethylcellulose salt being selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose, potassium carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof.

2. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the clay gellant is a sodium bentonite clay.

3. The composition of Claim 1 comprising about 92 to about 97.5% by weight clay gel1ant; about 2 to about 6% by weight water-soluble alkali metal salt, and about 0.5 to about 2%
by weight salt of carboxymethylcellulose.

4. An aqueous slurry for injection into boreholes to be abandoned comprising water and an amount of an additive composition in the range of about 1 to about 30 pounds per barrel sufficient to impart to said aqueous slurry a 10 minute gel strength of at least 20 lb/100 ft2 and a maximum API filtration rate of 15 cc/30 min. wherein said composition essentially comprises about 89.5 to about 99.4%
by weight of a water-swellable clay gellant selected from the group consisting of sodium form natural and synthetic montmorillionite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saporite, stevensite, and mixtures thereof, about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of a water soluble alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium carbonates, bicarbonates, citrates, oxalates, stearates and mixtures thereof, and about 0.1 to about 3.0% by weight salt of carboxymethylcellulose selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, potassium carboxymethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof.

5. A process for suspending solids and controlling forma-tion pressures within a borehole to be abandoned which comprises:
a) preparing a composition essentially comprising about 89.5 to about 99.4% by weight water swellable clay gellant selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic, sodium form montmorillionite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saporite, stevensite, and mixtures thereof, about 0.5% to about 10% by weight water-soluble alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium carbonates, bicarbonates, citrates, oxalates, stearates, and mixtures thereof and about 0.1 to about 3.0%
by weight of a water soluble, essentially non-hygroscopic salt of carboxymethylcellulose, having a degree of substitu-tion in the range of about 0.5 to 1.5, selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, potassium carboxymethylcellulose and mixtures thereof;

b) mixing said composition of step (a) with fresh water to form an aqueous slurry having a gel strength of at least 20 lb/100 ft2 and having an API filtration rate less than about 15 cc/30 minutes; and c) circulating said aqueous slurry throughout the total depth of said borehole and allowing said aqueous slurry to remain in the borehole.

6. The process of Claim 5 wherein said composition com-prises about 92 to about 97.5% by weight sodium bentonite, about 2 to about 6% by weight of said water soluble alkali metal salt, and about 0.5 to 2% by weight of said salt of carboxymethylcellulose, and wherein said composition com-prises about 1 to about 30 lb/bbl of said aqueous slurry.

7. The process of claim S wherein the aqueous slurry API
funnel viscosity is raised by at least 20 second/quart.