Additive for increasing the density of a fluid for casing annulus pressure control

Abstract

A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.68 and preferably the solid particulate material may be selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate, combinations and mixtures of these and other similar solids that should be apparent to one of skill in the art.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well, the method comprising, injecting into the casing annulus a composition including: a base fluid, and a polymer coated colloidal solid material, wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent absorbed to the surface of the solid particle.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base fluid is an aqueous fluid or an oleaginous fluid.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base fluid is selected from, water, brine, diesel oil, mineral oil, white oil, n-alkanes, synthetic oils, saturated and unsaturated poly(alpha-olefins), esters of fatty acid carboxylic acids and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the colloidal solid is selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) less than 2.0 microns.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein greater than 25% of the solid particles have a diameter less than 2 microns.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solid particles are composed of a material of specific gravity of at least 2.68.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a polymer of molecular weight of at least 2,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a water soluble polymer is a homopolymer or copolymer of monomers selected from the group comprising: acrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid or anhydride, hydroxypropyl acrylate vinylsulphonic acid, acrylamido 2-propane sulphonic acid, acrylamide, styrene sulphonic acid, acrylic phosphate esters, methyl vinyl ether and vinyl acetate, and wherein the acid monomers may also be neutralized to a salt.  
     
     
         10 . A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well, the method comprising, inserting into the casing annulus a sufficient amount of a flexible tubing so as to reach a predetermined depth, and pumping into the flexible tubing a pressure control composition so as to inject an effective amount of the pressure control composition into the casing annulus so as to substantially displace any existing fluid in the casing annulus, wherein the pressure control composition includes: a base fluid, and a polymer coated colloidal solid material, wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent absorbed to the surface of the solid particle.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base fluid is an aqueous fluid or an oleaginous fluid.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the base fluid is selected from, water, brine, diesel oil, mineral oil, white oil, n-alkanes, synthetic oils, saturated and unsaturated poly(alpha-olefins), esters of fatty acid carboxylic acids and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the colloidal solid is selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) less than 2.0 microns.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the greater than 25% of the solid particles have a diameter less than 2 microns.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the solid particles are composed of a material of specific gravity of at least 2.68.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a polymer of molecular weight of at least 2,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a water soluble polymer is a homopolymer or copolymer of monomers selected from the group comprising: acrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid or anhydride, hydroxypropyl acrylate vinylsulphonic acid, acrylamido 2-propane sulphonic acid, acrylamide, styrene sulphonic acid, acrylic phosphate esters, methyl vinyl ether and vinyl acetate, and wherein the acid monomers may also be neutralized to a salt.  
     
     
         19 . A composition comprising a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material, wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) of less than two microns; and a polymeric dispersing agent absorbed to the surface of the solid particle.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the base fluid is an aqueous fluid or an oleaginous fluid.  
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the base fluid is selected from, water, brine, diesel oil, mineral oil, white oil, n-alkanes, synthetic oils, saturated and unsaturated poly(alpha-olefins), esters of fatty acid carboxylic acids and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the colloidal solid is selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) less than 2.0 microns.  
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein greater than 25% of the solid particles have a diameter less than 2 microns.  
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solid particles are composed of a material of specific gravity of at least 2.68.  
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a water soluble polymer of molecular weight of at least 2,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         27 . A method of making a polymer coated colloidal solid material, the method comprising grinding a solid particulate material and a polymeric dispersing agent for a sufficient time to achieve an weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) of less than two microns; and so that the polymeric dispersing agent is absorbed to the surface of the solid particle.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the grinding is carried out in the presence of a base fluid.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the base fluid is an aqueous fluid or an oleaginous fluid.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the base fluid is selected from, water, brine, diesel oil, mineral oil, white oil, n-alkanes, synthetic oils, saturated and unsaturated poly(alpha-olefins), esters of fatty acid carboxylic acids and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the solid particulate material is selected from barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate, dolomite, ilmenite, hematite, olivine, siderite, strontium sulfate and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the solid particulate material is selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.68.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a polymer of molecular weight of at least 2,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is a water soluble polymer that is a homopolymer or copolymer of monomers selected from the group comprising: acrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid or anhydride, hydroxypropyl acrylate vinylsulphonic acid, acrylamido 2-propane sulphonic acid, acrylamide, styrene sulphonic acid, acrylic phosphate esters, methyl vinyl ether and vinyl acetate, and wherein the acid monomers may also be neutralized to a salt.  
     
     
         35 . The product of the process of  claim 27 .  
     
     
         36 . The product of the process of  claim 27 , wherein the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a weight average particle diameter (d 50 ) less than 2.0 microns.  
     
     
         37 . The product of the process of  claim 27 , wherein greater than 25% of the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a particle diameter less than 2 microns.  
     
     
         38 . The product of the process of  claim 27 , wherein at least 60% of the polymer coated colloidal solid material has a particle diameter less than 2 microns.