Precipitated Particles and Wellbore Fluids and Methods Relating Thereto

Abstract

Precipitated mineral particles may provide for wellbore fluids with tailorable properties and capabilities. Such wellbore fluids may be included as a portion of a wellbore drilling assembly that includes a pump in fluid communication with a wellbore via a feed pipe; and a wellbore fluid disposed in at least one selected from the group consisting of the pump, the feed pipe, the wellbore, and any combination thereof, wherein the wellbore fluid has a density of about 7 ppg to about 50 ppg and comprises a base fluid and a plurality of precipitated particles having a shape selected from the group consisting of ovular, substantially ovular, discus, platelet, flake, toroidal, dendritic, acicular, spiked with a substantially spherical or ovular shape, spiked with a discus or platelet shape, rod-like, fibrous, polygonal, faceted, star-shaped, and any hybrid thereof.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wellbore drilling assembly comprising:
 a pump in fluid communication with a wellbore via a feed pipe; and   a wellbore fluid disposed in at least one selected from the group consisting of the pump, the feed pipe, the wellbore, and any combination thereof, wherein the wellbore fluid has a density of about 7 ppg to about 50 ppg and comprises a base fluid and a plurality of precipitated particles having a shape selected from the group consisting of ovular, substantially ovular, discus, platelet, flake, toroidal, dendritic, acicular, spiked with a substantially spherical or ovular shape, spiked with a discus or platelet shape, rod-like, fibrous, polygonal, faceted, star-shaped, and any hybrid thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wellbore fluid has a sag control of a density change of less than about 1 ppg over a time of about 10 hours to about 120 hours. 
     
     
         3 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 2.6 to about 20. 
     
     
         4 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 5.5 to about 20. 
     
     
         5 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the precipitated particles have a median diameter of about 5 nm to about 100 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wellbore fluid further comprises a plurality of second particles, the second particles being non-precipitated. 
     
     
         7 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the precipitated particles in combination with the second particles have a multiparticle specific gravity of about 3 to about 20. 
     
     
         8 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the precipitated particles in combination with the second particles have a diameter distribution that has at least one mode with a standard deviation of about 2% or less of a peak diameter of the mode. 
     
     
         9 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the precipitated particles in combination with the second particles have a multi-modal diameter distribution. 
     
     
         10 . A wellbore drilling assembly comprising:
 a pump in fluid communication with a wellbore via a feed pipe;   a drill string with drill bit attached to the distal end of the drill string; and   a wellbore fluid in contact with the drill bit, wherein the wellbore fluid has a density of about 7 ppg to about 50 ppg and comprises a base fluid and a plurality of precipitated particles having a shape selected from the group consisting of ovular, substantially ovular, discus, platelet, flake, toroidal, dendritic, acicular, spiked with a substantially spherical or ovular shape, spiked with a discus or platelet shape, rod-like, fibrous, polygonal, faceted, star-shaped, and any hybrid thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid has a sag control of a density change of less than about 1 ppg over a time of about 10 hours to about 120 hours. 
     
     
         12 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 2.6 to about 20. 
     
     
         13 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 5.5 to about 20. 
     
     
         14 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the precipitated particles have a median diameter of about 5 nm to about 100 microns. 
     
     
         15 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the wellbore fluid further comprises a plurality of second particles, the second particles being precipitated or non-precipitated. 
     
     
         16 . A wellbore drilling assembly comprising:
 a pump capable of introducing a fluid into a wellbore via a feed pipe;   a fluid processing unit capable of receiving the fluid from a wellbore via an interconnecting flow line; and   a wellbore fluid disposed in at least one selected from the group consisting of the pump, the feed pipe, the wellbore, the interconnecting flow line, the fluid processing unit, and any combination thereof, wherein the wellbore fluid has a density of about 7 ppg to about 50 ppg and comprises a base fluid and a plurality of precipitated particles having a shape selected from the group consisting of ovular, substantially ovular, discus, platelet, flake, toroidal, dendritic, acicular, spiked with a substantially spherical or ovular shape, spiked with a discus or platelet shape, rod-like, fibrous, polygonal, faceted, star-shaped, and any hybrid thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the wellbore fluid has a sag control of a density change of less than about 1 ppg over a time of about 10 hours to about 120 hours. 
     
     
         18 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 2.6 to about 20. 
     
     
         19 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the precipitated particles have a specific gravity of about 5.5 to about 20. 
     
     
         20 . The wellbore drilling assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the precipitated particles have a median diameter of about 5 nm to about 100 microns.