BR-112022014300-B1 - METHOD FOR DETECTING SALT CONTENT IN A WELL BOREHOLE MAINTENANCE FLUID AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SHALE INHIBITOR CONTENT IN A WELL BOREHOLE MAINTENANCE FLUID

BR112022014300B1BR 112022014300 B1BR112022014300 B1BR 112022014300B1BR-112022014300-B1

Abstract

METHOD FOR DETECTING SALT CONTENT IN A WELLBORE MAINTENANCE FLUID AND METHOD FOR DETECTING SHALE INHIBITOR CONTENT IN A WELLBORE MAINTENANCE FLUID. A method for detecting a shale inhibitor and/or salt content in a wellbore maintenance fluid (WSF), the method comprising determining the salinity of water in a wellbore maintenance fluid; dosing a known volume of the wellbore maintenance fluid into a container; optionally adding a known volume of diluent (e.g., water) and mixing to provide a test sample; combining the test sample with a chromophore specific for shale inhibitor and/or salt, respectively, and optionally mixing; measuring the shale inhibitor content and/or salt content, respectively, of the test sample using colorimetry; reporting the measurement data to a computer control system; to determine a wellbore maintenance fluid treatment based on the measured shale inhibitor content and/or salt content; to subject the wellbore maintenance fluid system to treatment; (...).

Inventors

DALE E. JAMISON
Xiangnan YE

Assignees

HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260310
Application Date: 20201209
Priority Date: 20201203

Claims (20)

1. A method for detecting the salt content of a wellbore maintenance fluid (WSF) from a wellbore maintenance fluid system, the method being characterized by comprising: (a) determining the water salinity of a wellbore maintenance fluid; (b) dispensing an aliquot of the wellbore maintenance fluid into a container; (c) combining the aliquot of the wellbore maintenance fluid with a salt-specific detector compound and mixing to provide a detection solution in the container, the detection solution being defined by at least one peak absorption wavelength in the range of 380 nanometers (nm) to 760 nm; (d) measuring the salt content of the detection solution using colorimetry by detecting an absorption intensity for the detection solution at a wavelength within +20% of at least one peak absorption wavelength, comparing the absorption intensity of the detection solution at the wavelength within +20% of at least one peak absorption wavelength with a (e) report the measurement data in (d) to a computer control system; (f) determine a wellbore maintenance fluid treatment based on salt content and/or shale inhibitor content; and (g) subject the wellbore maintenance fluid from the wellbore maintenance fluid system to treatment.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: - adding a known volume of diluent and mixing before (c); and/or (h) waiting for a holding time to retest the wellbore maintenance fluid system; and (i) repeating steps (a) through (g) after the holding time.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a drilling fluid.
4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the drilling fluid is recovered from the downhole circulation.
5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a water-based mud (WBM).
6. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises an oil-based mud (OBM) and that the dosage in (b) further comprises separating an aqueous phase from an oily phase and that the aliquot comprises at least a portion of the separated aqueous phase.
7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that (d) the measurement of salt content using colorimetry in (e) comprising using an analyzer comprising photosensitive dye(s) comprising the specific chromophore for the salt.
8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the salt comprises NaCl, KCl, NaBr, CaCl2, CaBr2, MgCl2, MgBr2, ZnBr2, an acetate salt, sodium acetate, potassium acetate, ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), potassium phosphate, sodium formate, potassium formate, cesium formate or a combination thereof.
9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a brine.
10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aliquot of wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a reduced and/or diluted volume of solids from the wellbore maintenance fluid.
11. Method for detecting a shale inhibitor content of a wellbore maintenance fluid (WSF) from a wellbore maintenance fluid system, the method being characterized in that it comprises: (a) determining a water phase salinity (WPS) of a wellbore maintenance fluid; (b) dosing an aliquot of the wellbore maintenance fluid into a container; (c) combining the wellbore maintenance fluid aliquot with a specific detector compound for shale inhibitor and mixing to provide a detection solution in the container, the detection solution being defined by at least one absorption peak wavelength in the range of 380 nanometers (nm) to 760 nm; (d) measure the shale inhibitor content of the detection solution using colorimetry by detecting an absorption intensity for the detection solution at a wavelength within +20% of at least one peak absorption wavelength, comparing the absorption intensity of the detection solution at the wavelength within +20% of at least one peak absorption wavelength with a target absorption intensity to determine the amount of shale inhibitor in the WSF, and comparing the amount of shale inhibitor in the WSF with a target amount of shale inhibitor; (e) report the measurement data in (d) to a computer control system; (f) determine a wellbore maintenance fluid treatment based on the water phase salinity (WPS) of (a) and the shale inhibitor content of (d); and (g) subject the wellbore maintenance fluid from the wellbore maintenance fluid system to the treatment.
12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: - adding a known volume of diluent and mixing before (c); and/or (h) waiting for a holding time to retest the wellbore maintenance fluid system; and (i) repeating steps (a) through (g) after the holding time.
13. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a drilling fluid.
14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the drilling fluid is recovered from the downhole circulation.
15. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a water-based mud (WBM).
16. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the wellbore maintenance fluid comprises an oil-based mud (OBM) and that the dosage in (b) further comprises separating an aqueous phase from an oily phase and that the aliquot comprises at least a portion of the separated aqueous phase.
17. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that (d) measuring the shale inhibitor content of the detection solution using colorimetry in (d) comprising using an analyzer comprising photosensitive dye(s) comprising the chromophore specific for the shale inhibitor.
18. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the shale inhibitor comprises a polymer, a charged polymer, a salt or a combination thereof.
19. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that the shale inhibitor comprises a high molecular weight polymer, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, or a combination thereof.
20. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the aliquot of wellbore maintenance fluid comprises a reduced and/or diluted volume of solids from the wellbore maintenance fluid.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] This disclosure relates to methods for maintaining a wellbore. More specifically, it relates to methods for detecting shale inhibitors and/or salts in wellbore maintenance fluids. [0002] Natural resources, such as gas, oil, and water, residing in a formation or subsurface zone are generally recovered by drilling a wellbore down to the subsurface formation, while circulating a drilling fluid in the wellbore. After the drilling fluid circulation is complete, a pipe string, for example, casing, is passed into the wellbore. The drilling fluid is then generally circulated downwards through the inside of the pipe and upwards through the annulus, which is located between the outside of the pipe and the walls of the wellbore. Shale inhibitors and salts are ubiquitous components in drilling fluids. Shale inhibitors and/or salts may have predetermined concentrations in drilling fluids to prevent problems during the drilling process, such as viscosity buildup, drill bit sticking, collapse, and wellbore swelling, etc. However, during the drilling process, shale inhibitors and/or salts may be lost or gained from the formation. The inability to accurately identify the active concentration of shale inhibitors and/or salts in drilling fluids in real time can result in economic losses (e.g., high incidence of non-productive time). Thus, there is a continuing need for real-time quantitative detection of shale inhibitors and/or salts in wellbore maintenance fluids, such as drilling fluids. [0003] The foregoing has outlined quite broadly the technical features and advantages of the present invention, so that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described below which form the subject of the invention claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific design and embodiments disclosed can be readily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures to accomplish the same purposes as the present invention. It should also be perceived by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] For a fuller understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the detailed description, wherein similar reference numerals represent similar parts. [0005] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a representative method for measuring a salt content in a wellbore maintenance fluid according to this disclosure. [0006] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a representative method for measuring a shale inhibitor content in a wellbore maintenance fluid according to this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0007] It should be understood at the outset that, although an illustrative implementation of one or more embodiments is provided below, the disclosed systems and/or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or existing. The disclosure shall in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, designs and techniques below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims together with their full scope of equivalents. [0008] Methods for detecting shale inhibitors and/or salts in wellbore maintenance fluids or compositions (collectively referred to in this document as WSFs) are disclosed in this document. The amount (e.g., concentration) of shale inhibitors and/or salts can be determined by reacting the shale inhibitors and/or salts with a detector compound, which may result in highly conjugated molecules exhibiting color (e.g., visual color); wherein such highly conjugated molecules may absorb light in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) and/or visible (VIS) range; and wherein the absorption intensity may be used to derive the amount of shale inhibitors and/or salts in the WSF. Although described below with reference to absorbance, in some respects, light reflectance may be used. [0009] In one aspect, a method for detecting a shale inhibitor and/or a salt in a WSF may include (a) contacting an aliquot of the WSF with a detector compound to form a detection solution; wherein the WSF includes the shale inhibitor and/or the salt; and wherein the detection solution is characterized by at least one absorption peak wavelength in the range of about 380 nanometers (nm) to about 760 nm; (b) detecting an absorption intensity for the detection solution at a wavelength within about +20% of at least one absorption peak wavelength; (c) comparing the absorption intensity of the detection solution at the wavelength within about +20% of at least one absorption peak wavelength with a target absorption intensity of the shale inhibitor