Treatment Fluids Comprising Vitrified Shale and Methods of Using Such Fluids in Subterranean Formations

Abstract

Methods and compositions for the treatment of subterranean formations, and more specifically, treatment fluids containing vitrified shale and methods of using these treatment fluids in subterranean formations, are provided. An example of a method is a method of displacing a fluid in a well bore. Another example of a method is a method of separating fluids in a well bore in a subterranean formation. An example of a composition is a spacer fluid comprising vitrified shale and a base fluid.

1 . A spacer fluid comprising a vitrified shale and a base fluid, wherein the spacer fluid is not settable.  
   
   
       2 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the vitrified shale comprises any partially vitrified silica-rich material.  
   
   
       3 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the vitrified shale is present in the spacer fluid an amount in the range of from about 0.01% to about 90% by weight of the spacer fluid.  
   
   
       4 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the vitrified shale is present in an amount in the range of from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the spacer fluid.  
   
   
       5 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the base fluid comprises at least one base fluid selected from the group consisting of: an aqueous-based fluid, an emulsion, a synthetic fluid, and an oil-based fluid.  
   
   
       6 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the base fluid is present in the spacer fluid in an amount sufficient to form a pumpable slurry.  
   
   
       7 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  further comprising a viscosifying agent.  
   
   
       8 . The spacer fluid of  claim 8  wherein the viscosifying agent comprises at least one viscosifying agent selected from the group consisting of: a colloidal agent, an emulsion forming agent, a diatomaceous earth, a starch, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The spacer fluid of  claim 9  wherein the viscosifying agent comprises at least one colloidal agent selected from the group consisting of: a clay, a polymer, a guar gum, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The spacer fluid of  claim 10  wherein the viscosifying agent comprises at least one clay selected from the group consisting of: kaolinite, montmorillonite, bentonite, a hydrous mica, attapulgite, sepiolite, laponite, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The spacer fluid of  claim 8  wherein the viscosifying agent is present in the spacer fluid in an amount in the range of from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the spacer fluid.  
   
   
       12 . The spacer fluid of  claim 1  wherein the spacer fluid further comprises at least one of the following: a dispersant, a surfactant, a weighting agent, a fluid loss control additive, or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The spacer fluid of  claim 14  wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least one dispersant selected from the group consisting of: a sulfonated styrene maleic anhydride copolymer, a sulfonated vinyltoluene maleic anhydride copolymer, a sodium naphthalene sulfonate condensed with formaldehyde, a sulfonated acetone condensed with formaldehyde, a lignosulfonate, an allyloxybenzene sulfonate, an allyl sulfonate, a non-ionic monomer, an interpolymer of acrylic acid, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The spacer fluid of  claim 15  wherein the dispersant is present in the spacer fluid in an amount in the range of from about 0.0001% to about 4% by weight of the spacer fluid.  
   
   
       15 . The spacer fluid of  claim 14  wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least surfactant selected from the group consisting of: a nonylphenol ethoxylate, an alcohol ethoxylate, a sugar lipid, an α-olefinsulfonate, an alkylpolyglycoside, an alcohol sulfate, a salt of ethoxylated alcohol sulfate, an alkyl amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, an alkene amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The spacer fluid of  claim 17  wherein the surfactant is present in the spacer fluid in an amount in the range from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of the spacer fluid.  
   
   
       17 . The spacer fluid of  claim 14  wherein the spacer fluid comprises at least one weighting agent selected from the group consisting of: barite, hematite, manganese tetraoxide, ilmenite, calcium carbonate, and a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       18 . A spacer fluid comprising: 
 a vitrified shale in an amount in the range of from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the spacer fluid, and    a base fluid,    wherein the spacer fluid is not settable.    
   
   
       19 . The spacer fluid of  claim 18  wherein the vitrified shale comprises any partially vitrified silica-rich material.  
   
   
       20 . The spacer fluid of  claim 18  wherein the spacer fluid further comprises at least one of the following: a dispersant, a surfactant, a weighting agent, a fluid loss control additive, or a mixture thereof.