US3415318A - Method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation - Google Patents

Method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation Download PDF

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Publication number
US3415318A
US3415318A US649533A US64953367A US3415318A US 3415318 A US3415318 A US 3415318A US 649533 A US649533 A US 649533A US 64953367 A US64953367 A US 64953367A US 3415318 A US3415318 A US 3415318A
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Prior art keywords
fluid
hole
particles
cavity
drilling
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US649533A
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Franciscus H Meijs
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Shell USA Inc
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Shell Oil Co
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B21/00—Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor
    • E21B21/003—Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation.
  • very permeable, cavernous or fractured rocks may be passed by the hole, and the interior of the hole may come into communication with largevolume spaces such as cavity system or cavity systems within the rock, with the result that the drilling fluid, which is circulated through the hole, is drained from the hole into these spaces. If the loss of drilling fluid into these spaces is not made up by the supply of new drilling fluid to the top of the hole, the fluid level in the hole will descend and may give rise to serious difiiculties or may lead to abandonment of the hole.
  • plugging material e.g., fibers, flakes, sawdust, shredded wood
  • plugging material has, preferably, such a size that when the fluid passes out of the hole into a cavity system in the formation, the plugging material is filtered out in the openings existing between the hole and the cavity system.
  • the filtered-out material plugs these openings, thereby decreasing the passage therethrough to such an extent that the plastering material which is normally present in the drilling fluid seals the passage through the pores left between the plugging material.
  • Another way to obstruct the passage between the hole and a cavity system in the formation being drilled is by injecting a substance (such as cement), which substance sets into a solid mass.
  • a substance such as cement
  • This method of blocking the passage through which the loss of drilling fluid occurs, by building a dam of particles in the cavity 3,415,318 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 system, is a very suitable way of dealing with fluid losses taking place via openings in the wall of the borehole which are of such a size that they cannot be closed off by plugging miaterials.
  • a method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation, which hole communicates with at least one cavity system comprises the following steps:
  • FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4 schematically show sequential steps by which a cavity system can be plugged off by means of the method according to the invention.
  • the drill bit (not shown) on its way downwards into the formation 2 has passed a cavity 4 which forms part of a (not shown) cavity system of large volume and extending over a large area.
  • the drilling fluid which is being circulated through the borehole 1 then passes out of the borehole 1 into the cavity 4 of which only part has been shown in the drawing.
  • the entrance 5 to the cavity 4 has dimensions which are a great many times larger than the dimensions of the plastering material present in the drilling fluid, this material is not able to seal this entrance to prevent the fluid from entering the cavity.
  • the permeable area of the formation 2 bounding the cavity system is also of a very large size, which makes sealing thereof by the plastering material present in the fluid flowing into the cavity 4 impossible.
  • the drill string (not shown) is retracted from the hole and the drill bit removed therefrom, whereafter the drill string 6 (or any other type of pipe) is lowered into the hole 1 (see FIGURE 2) until the lower end of the string 6 is located at some distance above the entrance to the cavity 4.
  • the entrance 5 to the cavity 4 will normally be found at or near the bottom of the hole 1.
  • Methods exist, however, of determining the exact position of this entrance e.g., the spinner survey method or the temperature survey method.
  • the spinner survey method makes use of a flow meter (spinner) which is moved through the hole 1. This flow meter will show a certain flow velocity of the fluid above the entrance 5 and a flow velocity of zero or nearly zero below the entrance 5.
  • the temperature survey is carried out by measuring the temperature of the fluid at various levels in the borehole. The nonflowing fluid present in the hole at a level below the entrance 5 will have adopted the formation temperature, whereas the liquid present above the entrance and flowing towards this entrance will have a temperature different therefrom.
  • the top of the annular space 7 surrounding the pipe 6 is brought into communication with a supply of a suspension of particles in a viscous carrier fluid.
  • the suspension to be injected can be made before the pressure thereof is raised to the injection pressure.
  • the viscous fluid may first be pressurized to the desired value whereafter the particles are added thereto.
  • the particles may be formed, e.g., by quartz, barite or iron ores, such as limenite or magnetite. These particles should have a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the mixture of carrier fluid and the viscosity breaking liquid.
  • the suspension is pumped down through the annulus 7 of the hole, and the flow thereof is, due to the pressure difference existing between the hole 1 and the cavity 4, directed into the cavity 4 (see FIGURE 2).
  • the injec tion pressure should be well below fracturing pressure to prevent fracturing of the formation.
  • a viscosity breaking liquid is pumped down through the pipe 6, which liquid intermingles with the suspension on leaving the lower end of the pipe 6. This mixing can be improved by slowly rotating the pipe 6 and/or by moving the pipe 6 alternately upwards and downwards in the hole.
  • the viscosity-breaking liquid is chosen such, that on being mixed with the suspension, it rapidly influences the viscosity of the carrier fluid of the suspension.
  • the viscosity of the carrier fluid On entering the cavity 4 via the opening 5, the viscosity of the carrier fluid quickly drops to such a low value that the particles readily separate from the carrier liquid by gravity. These particles are deposited in the cavity 4, until an increase of the injection pressure indicates that the passage through the cavity 4 has been closed off by a mass of particles 8 (see FIGURE 3).
  • the injection of the suspension, as well as of the viscosity-breaking fluid is then stopped. Thereafter a fluid having plastering properties is injected into the top of the pipe 6.
  • This fluid drives the viscosity-breaking liquid out of the string 6 and into the cavity 4, where it is passed through the pores of the dam 8. Thereafter the plastering fluid passes out of the string 6 and enters the cavity 4, forming a plastering cake 9 on the 'wall of the dam 8 and increasing the thickness of the cake which might already have been deposited on the wall of the formation 2.
  • the cake 9 forms a continuation of the mud cake 3 which partly was already present on the wall of the borehole 1 and partly was deposited later on, the communication between the borehole and the cavity system as well as the formation pore space is broken and no further fluid will escape from the borehole. If the formation 2 has an impermeable nature, this plastering cake will only be deposited on the side of the mass 8 facing the borehole 1.
  • the pressure in the hole may be increased so as to test the strength of the obstruction 8 in the cavity 4 against a difference in pressure existing over said obstruction. If the obstruction does not hold, the whole process can be carried out anew. If desired, a plastering fluid may be used which hardens 'after some time. Thus, cement may be applied which strengthens the dam by the formation of a strong solid impermeable layer thereupon.
  • slugs of plastering fluid are injected between slugs of suspension and/or viscosity breaking liquid.
  • the slugs of plastering fluid may be injected via the pipe 6 and/or via the annular space 7.
  • the injection of suspension into the hole is interrupted during the injection of the plastering fluid into the cavity, if this fluid is injected through the pipe 6 only.
  • the viscous carrier fluid in which the particles are suspended may be formed by a gel or an emulsion.
  • a gel for carrying the particles down the hole use may be made, e.g., of water to which guar gum is added as a gelling agent. An aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid is then applied as viscosity-breaking liquid.
  • an emulsion it is preferred to use a water-in-oil emulsion.
  • an emulsion of by volume of water in l9l9.5% volume of gas oil stabilized with l0.5% by volume of an emulsifier, such as Dowell Emulsifier M41 up to 1.5 kilograms of coarse sand or gravel can be suspended per liter of the emulsion.
  • this emulsion is stable for at least one day, and at a temperature of 80 C. the emulsion is stable for three hours.
  • Many of the deemulsifiers used for crude oil emulsion dehydration and marketed by firms like Servo and Tret-O-Lite will cause rapid breaking of the emulsion when applied in a concentration of 500 ppm. or less.
  • the particles suspended in the viscous carrier fluid may range in size from sand to gravel. Since in the prior art method the particles were suspended in a carrier liquid which is of lower viscosity than the carrier fluid as applied in the present method, the particles used in the present method may under corresponding conditions be of larger size and/or greater specific gravity than in the prior art method. The application of this larger-sized or heavier particles, which is allowed by the use of a viscous carrier fluid, will give a stronger dam in the cavity.
  • the operation is started with the injection of largesized particles (such as gravel) and finished by substituting these particles either gradually or abruptly by smallersized particles (such as sand), which smaller-sized particles will fill up the openings leading to the pore space of the large-sized particles forming the dam, whereby a better sealing will be obtained during the subsequent injection of the plastering fluid.
  • largesized particles such as gravel
  • smallersized particles such as sand
  • plugging agents may be added to the plastering fluid.
  • a mixture of gravel and sand can be suspended in the carrier fluid. Then the interstices between the gravel building up the dam during separation of the particles of the fluid in the cavity will be filled up by the sand particles.
  • the sizes of the particles may not differ too widely, since otherwise the coarse and the fine particles will be deposited at separate spots.
  • the use of the first type of particles is to be preferred when applying the method according to the invention.
  • the introduction of the viscositybreaking liquid may also take place via the drill string to which a drill bit is attached, provided that the openings in the bit have a sufiiciently great area. Slowly rotating the bit and/ or moving the string alternately upwards and downwards will prevent clogging of the passages between the bit and the borehole wall by the suspension flowing past the bit. These movements will also improve the mixing between the suspension and the viscosity-breaking liquid.
  • the application of a viscous carrier fluid to transport the particles from the surface to the cavity system which is to be closed off has the advantage over the known method, that per volume of carrier fluid a larger amount of particles can be transported.
  • the present method will allow quicker closing of a cavity system than the known method, in which a carrier fluid from which the particles readily separate is being used.
  • the viscous carrier fluid allows the use of heavier and/ or coarser particles which results in the formation of a closure within the cavity which Will be able to withstand higher pressure difierences thereacross than the closure formed by the old method.
  • the present invention has been illustrated by a description thereof when applied for closing the passage through cavity systems located in permeable formations, it is not limited thereto. With equally favorable results the invention may be applied if the cavity system to be closed off is located in an impermeable formation.
  • a method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation which hole communicates with at least one cavity system comprising the following steps:
  • viscositybreaking liquid is an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid.
  • emulsion is a water-in-oil emulsion.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Consolidation Of Soil By Introduction Of Solidifying Substances Into Soil (AREA)
  • Soil Conditioners And Soil-Stabilizing Materials (AREA)
US649533A 1966-07-20 1967-06-28 Method of curing loss of circulation of a fluid used in drilling a hole in an underground formation Expired - Lifetime US3415318A (en)

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NL6610183A NL6610183A (de) 1966-07-20 1966-07-20

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GB (1) GB1144275A (de)
NL (1) NL6610183A (de)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3525397A (en) * 1968-12-26 1970-08-25 Shell Oil Co Method of temporarily plugging an earth formation
US3730273A (en) * 1971-04-30 1973-05-01 Union Oil Co Improved technique for injecting fluids into subterranean formations
US3892275A (en) * 1974-01-24 1975-07-01 Shell Oil Co Self-thinning and neutralizing thickened aqueous liquid
US4034809A (en) * 1976-03-17 1977-07-12 Nalco Chemical Company Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide latices for secondary oil recovery
US5343968A (en) * 1991-04-17 1994-09-06 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Downhole material injector for lost circulation control
US20030201103A1 (en) * 2002-04-30 2003-10-30 Brookey Tommy F. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US20050199390A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-15 Curtice Richard J. Apparatus and methods for sealing voids in a subterranean formation

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3280912A (en) * 1963-12-09 1966-10-25 Exxon Production Research Co Restoring lost circulation in wells
US3347316A (en) * 1964-10-26 1967-10-17 Shell Oil Co Method of treating an underground formation to prevent liquid loss to large cavities in a formation
US3368636A (en) * 1963-12-04 1968-02-13 Shell Oil Co Method of drilling a hole in a permeable underground formation and drilling fluid suitable for carrying out said method

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3368636A (en) * 1963-12-04 1968-02-13 Shell Oil Co Method of drilling a hole in a permeable underground formation and drilling fluid suitable for carrying out said method
US3280912A (en) * 1963-12-09 1966-10-25 Exxon Production Research Co Restoring lost circulation in wells
US3347316A (en) * 1964-10-26 1967-10-17 Shell Oil Co Method of treating an underground formation to prevent liquid loss to large cavities in a formation

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3525397A (en) * 1968-12-26 1970-08-25 Shell Oil Co Method of temporarily plugging an earth formation
US3730273A (en) * 1971-04-30 1973-05-01 Union Oil Co Improved technique for injecting fluids into subterranean formations
US3892275A (en) * 1974-01-24 1975-07-01 Shell Oil Co Self-thinning and neutralizing thickened aqueous liquid
US4034809A (en) * 1976-03-17 1977-07-12 Nalco Chemical Company Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide latices for secondary oil recovery
US5343968A (en) * 1991-04-17 1994-09-06 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Downhole material injector for lost circulation control
WO2003093792A3 (en) * 2002-04-30 2004-07-22 Masi Technologies Llc Compositions and methods for sealing formations
WO2003093792A2 (en) * 2002-04-30 2003-11-13 Masi Technologies, L.L.C. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US6739414B2 (en) * 2002-04-30 2004-05-25 Masi Technologies, L.L.C. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US20030201103A1 (en) * 2002-04-30 2003-10-30 Brookey Tommy F. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US20040211563A1 (en) * 2002-04-30 2004-10-28 Masi Technologies, L.L.C. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
GB2404404A (en) * 2002-04-30 2005-02-02 Masi Technologies Llc Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US7033977B2 (en) 2002-04-30 2006-04-25 Masi Technologies, Inc. Compositions and methods for sealing formations
GB2404404B (en) * 2002-04-30 2006-06-14 Masi Technologies Llc Compositions and methods for sealing formations
US20050199390A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-15 Curtice Richard J. Apparatus and methods for sealing voids in a subterranean formation
WO2005088065A1 (en) * 2004-03-12 2005-09-22 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Apparatus and methods for sealing voids in a subterranean formation
US7281576B2 (en) 2004-03-12 2007-10-16 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Apparatus and methods for sealing voids in a subterranean formation

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Publication number Publication date
GB1144275A (en) 1969-03-05
NL6610183A (de) 1968-01-22

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