Well treatment fluid

Abstract

This invention relates to a wellbore treatment fluid and a method of enhancing wellbore treatment fluids to increase efficiency and productivity of wells. More specifically this invention provides methods for enhancing the thermal stability of wellbore treatment fluids such as drill-in, completion, workover, packer, well treating, testing, spacer or hole abandonment fluids. The methods include providing a wellbore treatment fluid that comprises polyol, polysaccharide, weighting agent, and water, wherein the fluid is solids free.

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         44 . A method for reducing heat transfer in a producing well comprising the steps of: 
 introducing to the well an insulating fluid, the insulating fluid comprising:    a) a polyol,    b) a polysaccharide,    c) a weighting agent, and    d) water    wherein the insulating fluid contains between from about 15 to about 99 weight percent of polyol; and    producing fluids from the well while minimizing heat transfer therein.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polysaccharide is present at about 0.5 to about 5 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the weighting agent is present at about 1 to about 84 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the weighting agent is present at about 10 to about 60 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, a glycol, a polyglycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, poly(1,3-propanediol), poly(1,2-propanediol), poly(1,2-butanediol), poly(1,3-butanediol), poly(1,4-butanediol), poly(2,3-butanediol), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the polyol comprises ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and/or butylene glycol.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polyol has a number average molecular weight of about 150 to about 7,000.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises cellulose, carboxyalkyl hydroxy alkyl cellulose, xanthan gum, succinoglycan, scleroglucan, starch, galactomannan gums, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises alkyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, alkylhydroxyalkyl cellulose and/or carboxyalkyl cellulose derivatives.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises galactomannan gums, xanthan gums and/or derivatized galactomannan gums.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises guar gum, hydroxyalkyl guar, carboxy alkyl hydroxyalkyl guar, xanthan gum or derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the weighting agent comprises monovalent and/or divalent salts.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the weighting agent comprises an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the weighting agent comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium, manganese and zinc cations, and an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, oxides, carbonates, nitrates, sulfates, acetates and formate anions.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the anion comprises a formate anion and/or a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the anion comprises a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkaline earth metal cation and/or an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the weighting agent comprises CaCl 2 , NaCl, NaBr and/or CaBr 2 , KCl, KBr, K(CHO 2 ), K(CH 3 CO 2 ), NaCl, NaBr, Na(CHO 2 ), Na(CH 3 CO 2 ), CaCl 2 , CaBr 2 , ZnBr 2 , ZnCl 2 , Cs(CHO 2 ), Cs(CH 3 CO 2 ), ZnO or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the polyol comprises propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, the weighting agent comprises an alkali metal salt, and the polysaccharide comprises carboxymethyl hydroxylpropyl guar, and/or xanthan gum, and/or carboxymethyl hydroxy ethyl cellulose, and/or hydroxyethyl cellulose, and/or hydroxy propyl guar.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid has a density of from about 7.0 pounds per gallon to about 20 pounds per gallon.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid comprises: water, about 15 to about 75 weight % of propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, about 1 to about 84 weight % of an alkali metal salt, and about 0.5 to about 5 weight % of carboxymethyl hydroxylpropyl guar, xanthan gum and/or carboxymethyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose, based upon the weight of the fluid, wherein the fluid has a density of about 9.0 ppg to about 20 ppg.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the water is present at about 25 to about 99 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the water is a brine.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid comprises less than 0.1 weight % solids.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid is solids free.  
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid is a solution.  
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the insulating fluid is a suspension of a solid in a solution.  
     
     
         71 . A method for minimizing heat transfer in a fluid produced from a well having a wellbore comprising (i.) introducing to the well a packer fluid, the packer fluid comprising: a) a polyol, b) a polysaccharide, c) a weighting agent, and d) water, wherein the amount of polyol in the packer fluid is between from about 15 to about 99 weight percent, and (ii.) producing a fluid from the wellbore with minimal heat transfer.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the packer fluid comprises: water, about 15 to about 75 weight % of propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, about 1 to about 84 weight % of an alkaline earth metal salt, and about 0.5 to about 5 weight % of carboxymethyl hydroxylpropyl guar, xanthan gum and/or carboxymethyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose, based upon the weight of the fluid, wherein the fluid has a density of about 9.0 ppg to about 20 ppg.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the water is present at up to 99 weight %, based upon the weight of the packer fluid.  
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the polysaccharide is present at about 0.5 to about 5 weight %, based upon the weight of the packer fluid.  
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the weighting agent is present at about 1 to about 84 weight %, based upon the weight of the packer fluid.  
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the amount of heat transfer in the production of the fluid is reduced by at least 80% compared to the fluid produced in the presence of a packer fluid containing only brine.  
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, a glycol, a polyglycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, poly(1,3-propanediol), poly(1,2-propanediol), poly(1,2-butanediol), poly(1,3-butanediol), poly(1,4-butanediol), poly(2,3-butanediol), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein the polyol comprises ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and/or butylene glycol.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the polyol has a number average molecular weight of about 150 to about 7,000.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises cellulose, carboxyalkyl hydroxy alkyl cellulose, xanthan gum, succinoglycan, scleroglucan, starch, galactomannan gums, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises guar gum, hydroxyalkyl guar, carboxy alkyl hydroxyalkyl guar, xanthan gum or derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the weighting agent comprises monovalent and/or divalent salts.  
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the weighting agent comprises an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt.  
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the weighting agent comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium, manganese and zinc cations, and an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, oxides, carbonates, nitrates, sulfates, acetates and formate anions.  
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the anion comprises a formate anion and/or a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the anion comprises a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkaline earth metal cation and/or an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the weighting agent comprises CaCl 2 , NaCl, NaBr and/or CaBr 2 , KCl, KBr, K(CHO 2 ), K(CH 3 CO 2 ), NaCl, NaBr, Na(CHO 2 ), Na(CH 3 CO 2 ), CaCl 2 , CaBr 2 , ZnBr 2 , ZnCl 2 , Cs(CHO 2 ), Cs(CH 3 CO 2 ), ZnO or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         89 . A method for reducing heat transfer in a well while producing fluids therefrom, wherein the heat transfer is reduced by use of an insulating fluid, the insulating fluid comprising: 
 a) a polyol,    b) a polysaccharide,    c) a weighting agent, and    d) water    wherein the insulating fluid contains between from about 15 to about 99 weight percent of polyol.    
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polysaccharide is present at about 0.5 to about 5 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the weighting agent is present at about 1 to about 84 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein the weighting agent is present at about 10 to about 60 weight %, based upon the weight of the insulating fluid.  
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, a glycol, a polyglycol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, poly(1,3-propanediol), poly(1,2-propanediol), poly(1,2-butanediol), poly(1,3-butanediol), poly(1,4-butanediol), poly(2,3-butanediol), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the polyol comprises ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and/or butylene glycol.  
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polyol has a number average molecular weight of about 150 to about 7,000.  
     
     
         97 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises cellulose, carboxyalkyl hydroxy alkyl cellulose, xanthan gum, succinoglycan, scleroglucan, starch, galactomannan gums, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         98 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polysaccharide comprises guar gum, hydroxyalkyl guar, carboxy alkyl hydroxyalkyl guar, xanthan gum or derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the weighting agent comprises monovalent and/or divalent salts.  
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the weighting agent comprises an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt.  
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the weighting agent comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium, manganese and zinc cations, and an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, oxides, carbonates, nitrates, sulfates, acetates and formate anions.  
     
     
         102 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the anion comprises a formate anion and/or a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the anion comprises a halide anion and the cation comprises an alkaline earth metal cation and/or an alkali metal cation.  
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the weighting agent comprises CaCl 2 , NaCl, NaBr and/or CaBr 2 , KCl, KBr, K(CHO 2 ), K(CH 3 CO 2 ), NaCl, NaBr, Na(CHO 2 ), Na(CH 3 CO 2 ), CaCl 2 , CaBr 2 , ZnBr 2 , ZnCl 2 , Cs(CHO 2 ), Cs(CH 3 CO 2 ), ZnO or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the polyol comprises propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, the weighting agent comprises CaCl 2  and/or CaBr 2 , and the polysaccharide comprises hydroxyethyl cellulose, and/or hydroxy propyl guar, and/or xanthan gum, and/or carboxymethyl hydroxylpropyl guar and/or carboxy methyl hydroxy ethyl cellulose.