MXPA97002940A - Modular system of perforation fluid and perforation method - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular drilling mud system is described in terms of five different modules: a first module contains caustic agent, a natural face and a natural diluent, a second module contains components of the first module and an alkali metal aluminate prepared by reacting the first module with an aluminum metal, a third module contains the components of the first module and an alkali metal phosphate and / or an alkali metal silicate, a fourth module contains the components of the first module, a source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant and a preservative, the fifth module contains a combination of the first, third and fourth modules, the third, fourth and fifth modules can be used to perform different degrees of dilution and lubrication, and the second module can be used alone or in combination with another module to thicken the drilling mud

Description

MODULAR SYSTEM OF PERFORATION FLUID AND GIETQDO PE PERFORATION CBJIPQ PE LR INVENTION The present invention relates to drilling fluids and methods, particularly those which include drilling for oil and gas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Soil drilling, as in oil drilling, typically employs a rotary drilling apparatus that includes an auger bit at its lower end. The rotary drilling apparatus creates a significant amount of heat * due to friction during the drilling procedure. Therefore, a lubricant or "drilling mud" is used to reduce the formation of heat in the drilling apparatus. Also, since the soil formations found during drilling can vary widely, drilling muds are selected to "model" and condition the soil for effective removal. An exemplary drilling mud comprises a gelling agent, such as a solid phase bentonite, a weight agent such as barite, and water. Numerous additives are also used other than this drilling fluid to control viscosity, deformation point, gel strength (toxic thioxot properties), pH, loss of moisture, tolerance to contaminants such as salt and calcium carbonate, lubricating properties. , properties of the mud crust, heat and cooling transfer properties, and tolerance to inactive solids such as sand and sediments or active native mud that forms clays such as esinectite, litas, kaolinites, clones, etc. Experts in the field recognize that the provision of an acceptable drilling fluid in the field requires a lot of labor and material handling and higher costs of irrigation. In addition, environmental and occupational safety considerations restrict the types of additives and their quantities in drilling muds. In addition, the selected additives should not have fluorescent properties, so that oil deposits can easily be identified. A number of drilling mud formulations have been proposed for years. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,726,850 discloses a lignin dispersing agent for dispersing clays and the like. The lignin dispersing agent has been reported to have utility in both acid and alkaline media. An aqueous silicate solution of relatively low viscosity is described in US Patent No. 3,746,109 and is also reported to be particularly useful in drilling through shale formations. U.S. Patent No. 4,799,549 discloses a stable gel-forming microemulsion comprising an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate, a nitrification reagent, and a surface active agent (t-surfactant). It is reported that this composition is useful to cover or jam reversibly subterranean formations. Also, Non-Theatrical Patent No. 5,374,361 discloses a composition for cleaning hardened wellbores and the like, using a fluid that includes a reforming of caustic polyoleside alkyl surfactants. It is reported that this formulation is more hygienic than the previous detergent systems. An additional additive found in aqueous drilling fluids is composed of metal, such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 5,399,548 or a derivative of a metal compound such as a hydroxy-aluminum compound provided therein. a polymer, such as is described in US Pat. No. 4,045,357. U.S. Patent No. 5,333,698 also discloses a drilling fluid additive in combination with a non-toxic white mineral oil. Most of the additives discussed above and those used in the industry are used only as additives. That is, they can not be provided easily, safely, and economically as a "total mud" subject specifically designated to accomplish a given drilling task. In this way, it is convenient a drilling mud system that can be applied in a modular form with one or more modules used at will for a particular group of requirements. Said system must also allow the person skilled in the art to convert an old mud formation, for example, saline muds, sludge, low mud in solids, oil sludge, etc. in a modular system. There is also an urgent need for improved health and safety at work with drilling mud, improved cleaning of pallets and equipment, safety of the environment and non-toxicity of additives, as well as reduced handling and storage costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is for a drilling mud system conveniently formulated at least one of the following modules: (1)? N first alkaline module containing a source of caustic agent, a natural wax, and a diluent natural; (2) a second module prepared by reacting aluminum metal with the components of the first alkaline module thereby forming a soluble alkali metal aluminate; (3) a third module containing the components of the first module in combination with at least one of an alkali metal phosphate and sodium silicate: (4) a fourth module containing the components of the first module in combination with a source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, a non-active agent, and a preservative; and (5) a fifth module containing the components of the first module in combination with a source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant, a preservative, and at least one of the alkali metal phosphate and sodium silicate. . A drilling mud represented by any of the third and fifth modules can be used for simultaneous dilution and lubrication operations. A drilling mud represented by the second module can be used for thickening operations. Preferably, the first module is composed of a "scouring tank liquor" - containing a caustic agent at an H of 11 or higher, as well as a natural wax and a natural diluent, such as a lignin and / or a baby The scouring tank lithium referred to herein is typically obtained by alkaline digestion of cellulose fibers, for example, cotton pulp, and is described further below. Preferably, the second module is a scouring tank liquor with alumina in which aluminum metal has been reacted with the scouring tank liquor to produce alu-free ions in the presence of lignins and / or tannins. The aluminate ions react with the lignins and tannins, interlacing them with light and increasing the capacity of suspension of dismount of the drilling mud. The third module is preferably composed of the components of the first module in combination with at least one alkaline phosphate, such as mono-di-, or sodium, potassium, or cesium triphosphate, for example isodium triphosphate (TSP), as well as sodium silicate and Lignite. Such formulation produces a high pH primary diluent for poor, thick and water-free mud. Optionally, the third module may contain borax. Preferably, the fourth module contains, in combination with the components of the first module, a rich source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as vegetable oil or natural ester, for example cottonseed oil, oil. of jojoba, and the like, as well as a surfactant agent, which improves the emulsification of oil and esters. Also, it is preferred that this module contain a preservative, such as a chelating agent, for example, diethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA). The fifth module preferably includes the components of the first third and fourth modules? Jent previously mentioned. Preferably, the first module is represented by the tank liquor. Also contemplated is a drilling rig that fills a plurality of containers, each of its contents defined as described below.

Another aspect of the present invention is a drilling method using drilling mud present. Said method comprises injecting at least one of the aforementioned modules in a hole before or during drilling, and beginning or continuing drilling in the ground. A statistical comparative analysis, described below, shows that the modular drilling mud system present produces a drilling fluid clearly superior to the previous available products. These data are presented in the tables below and in the figures. In addition, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to examples and the particular figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BOSS Figure 1 depicts a comparison of the torque of the engine against key torque at 1.6 to ps constant for a drilling mud formulation present (I) as compared to prior art substance (X). The perforating piece (I) has combined and simultaneous properties of dilution and lubrication, which is representative of the module 5. the prior art substance (X), which is a drilling fluid having commercial trademark XL (Your bochem Corp., Lafayette, LA) is a widely used nickel ester salt drilling fluid that has lubricating properties without thinning properties. Figure 2 depicts the results of the studies in Figure 1 that are obtained at 1.8 constant arnps. Figure 3 shows the torque of the engine against the pair of key torque at 1.6 constant arnps for an untreated mud, and the mud containing additive (I) at L% and 2% by volume. Figure 4 represents the torque of the motor against the torque of a torque at 1.8 amps constant using an untreated mud, and the same mud that has an additive (1) at 1% and 2% by volume .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is for a drilling mud system and associated method for using the system. The drilling mud system is comprised of one or more modules of pre-fermented chemical components. Each module contains flexible concentrations of its different chemical components, which allows a user to achieve a desired level of dilution, thickening, and lubricity in the fluid drilling system. The pre-packaged products can be used alone or in combination with another module to produce a drilling mud system having the desired properties. Each of these modules is discussed separately below.

MODULE 1 Module one is the main drilling fluid of the drilling mud system present. It can be used alone or in combination with one or more of the other modules as discussed below. The module is one is caustic drilling mud (alkaline). This composition also comprises one or more natural waxes and one or more natural diluents. Typically, the pH of a formulation of module one is 11 or greater. Said higher pH increases the dispersability of clays, thereby facilitating the drilling operation. A natural wax used in this composition facilitates the formation of emulsions and aids in the coating of solid particles released by the perforation. Exemplary natural waxes that can be used in the composition are, wax montana, waxes extracted from carnauba palm, cotton, lintres, deposits and ligmta and the like. Module 1 also provides a natural diluent, and as used herein, refers to a dispersion of natural colloidal clay. Exemplary natural diluents include lignins, tannins and negatively charged humic acid derivatives. The combination of caustic agent, natural wax, and natural diluent as described above, is sometimes referred to herein as "scouring bowl liquor", and is a major ingredient of the present drilling mud system.

A LCR- of the referred undercutting tank is available commercially from Barnhardt Industries (Chaiiotte, NC). Can liquor * also be combined with oxidizing agents such as perox? < Jo, sodium hypochlorite, and the like.

MODULE 2 This module represents an oil-soldering mud slurry in which aluminate ions are provided. If alu- mininate ions are added to the drilling mud before removing the drill assembly out of the hole, the resistance of the mud gel increases. . This means that the thixotropic properties of the drilling fluid can be changed at will, thus allowing debris entering the mud to be suspended. This module is added to a mud system also when it loses thixotropic characteristics or allows to quickly sediment heavy material. Also, if any of module 1 discussed above, and modules 3 and 4 discussed below, are combined with oil, the addition of module 2 causes the oil to solidify, i.e., a thick or rubberized grease. The degree of oil solidification can easily be altered by adjusting the aluminum metal concentration, which results in a change in the concentration of alirninate ions. Preferably, the alumina composition of the module 2 comprises an alkali metal alumina in combination with the scouring liquor described above. Any alkali metal aiupnate can be used; however, a particularly preferred heat alumina metal is sodium or potassium aluminate. A formulation of the preferred module 2 can be prepared by combining aluminum metal, in the form of chip, fine particles and the like, with sodium hydroxide and water in the presence of lignins or tan nos. The caustic agent reacts with the aluminum metal to produce sodium alurmnate as a hydrogen gas. Some of the aluminum ions thus formed react with the lignins or tannins, interlacing them with it. It is believed that if the interlaced product is added to a clay suspension, a partially reversible net charge is placed on the clay particles, which increases the gel strength of the mud. A suitable alkali gei or thickener can be prepared by adding 0.09-0.68 k of aluminum metal to 1 barrel of scouring tank liquor. Table 1 shows examples of the use of module 2 in the thickening of a drilling mud. In this way, both the sample from base # 1 and the sample from base # 2 comprise water, bentonite and caustic agent. The bentomta, a natural clay, is present in the amount e 11.25 kg per barrel of sample base. Table 1 shows the rpm readings of the viscosirnetro, apparent and plastic viscosity, deformation point, gel strength at LO seconds and 10 minutes, and pH. Table 1 also shows the results obtained when the base sample # 1 or # 2 is combined with module 2 in an amount of 1% by volume. As shown in Table I, the addition of 1% modulo 2 increases the torque readings both at 300 and 600 rpm. Viscosities also increase; the plastic viscosity increases by 2 centipoi os, as for example a change of 18%. Significantly, the resistance of the gel to 10 millimeters increases from 7.6 to 12.6 kg per 9.3 m2, which is an increase of 65% in the tototropic effect without changing the viscosity of the substantially drilling mud.

TABLE 1 EXAMPLE OF MUD THICKENING WITH MODULE # 2 * Water plus 11.35 kg / barpl of bentonite plus caustic agent. + Liqueur from Cuba to? Rn? Na «Jo approximately treatment with 1% in volume. 1"of 2 oonti oises 2. Ixotro effect i co increased by 5 k g / 9. 3 rn in 10 inin.

The effect of adding modulo 2 in an amount of approximately 1 to 2% on the thixotropic properties of two other sludges was also studied. These results are shown below in table 2. In these studies, the gel strength was determined at 10 sec. and LO mm "for each mud before and after treatment. As shown with these, the resistance of gei increases dramatically with the addition of modulo 2"This is a highly desirable property, specifically while the drilling fluid is at rest in an orizontal, lateral or offset hole, for example in no crossing, environmental remedy wells, or operations distress. C U A D R O 2 EXAMPLE OF THE THIXOTROPIC EFFECT OF MUD-ADDING MODULE 2 nODULQ 3 Module 3"A mud drilling system represents a primary diluent formulation. Functionally, this module counterbalances module 2. In this primary diluent composition, one or both of the inorganic phosphates and an inorganic silicate is combined with a caustic diluent composition as in module 1. Optionally, it can be combined with the other components of this modulo., The resulting formulation is a super high pH diluent that is particularly useful for mud, copper, thick and lacking water. Considering the components of the composition, good performance is expected at both low and high temperatures. A particularly preferred composition with a primary diluent of module 3 comprises scouring tank liquor (containing waxes and other organic materials) in combination with tpsodium phosphate (TSP) and sodium silicate. Another preferred formulation includes Ligurian scouring tank liquor, and T P, or a mono-, di-, otp-fos phallium of sodium, potassium, or cesium, and sodium silicate. When this composition is used, ceramics and other organic material (or 1 ingnum when used) can effectively coat colloid particles to protect them from attack by contaminants while dispersing them in a controllable manner, which results in a suspension condition stable. A preferred formulation for modulus 3 can be prepared by combining with a barrel of scouring vat liquor, each of 0. 5-22.5kg «Je trisodium phosphate, 0.11- 0.90 kg of sodium silicate, and 0.45- 4.5 kg of borax. Borax is an optional component that is useful in some applications. (lignite and hot water are used in an amount of approximately 0.45 to 0.90 for 1.78 liters of hot water, and for example, TSP is added to the cost of this recently discovered reaction product. varied from that of water, representing a thin fluid, to that of solid tar or asphalt, and very thick material, for example, this material can be used to plug a fracture in the hole. variations in the concentration of TSP on composition, MODULE 4 This module provides a secondary diluent formulation as well as a surfactant and preservative t, which can be combined with any of the above modules if necessary. The preferred components in this module are those that increase the oil ulsification, such as a source rich in saturated or saturated carboxylic acid, for example vegetable oil or a natural ether + as cottonseed oil, oil. He jojoba and similar. This component produces a secondary diluent capacity. Other preferred ammonic or nonionic surfactants (surfactants) include those containing a suitable HLB (hydrophilic-lipolytic balance), alkylbenzene sulfonates, tergitol, or TRITON (available from Union Carbide Corp., Danbury, CT). The preservative present in this module helps protect against bacteria and preferably a chelating t, such as salts of ethylenediarin tetraacetate (EDTA) and borax. Other suitable preservatives include bopco acid or derivatives thereof. A representative formulation of this module is as follows, based on water (one barrel): 0.45-4.5 kg of borax, 0.22-4.5 kg of boratearn (which includes a surfactant am sole of al qux Lbenceno s? lfonado), and 0.09-0.45kg of EDTA (sai NA or K). Optionally, approximately 0. 2-4.5kg of TRITON (a non-co-surfactant) can also be supplied optionally.

MODULE 5 This module represents a combination of modules 1,3 and 4 discussed above. This composition is a super lubricant formulation that is preferably used in treatments of 0.5 to 2.0% by volume. The use of this combination of modules 1, 3 and 4 increases the lubricity and dilution of a mud dramatically. Functionally, in the combined modules a poly-epoxy phosphate ester is formed which possesses the properties of high lubricity of the esters as well as the negatively charged phosphate ion dilution capacities. The amount of phosphorus can easily be altered by adjusting the phosphate concentration. A preferred composition for this module is formed by combining the compositions of modules 1, 3 and 4 in the amounts detailed above with an oil base.

Preferably, the oil, such as cottonseed oil, is provided in an amount of up to 50% of the total volume. Optionally, it can be replaced up to 20%, and preferably up to 10% of the oil content with mineral oil + to the FGA horn. The composition identified in the present formulation (I) is composed of scouring tank * liquor (SKL), TSP, borax, borateam, cottonseed oil and water in the relative amounts indicated above. Module 5 was studied in a treatment of loaded and uncharged sludge at 1.6 and 1.8 constant amps. These results are presented in tables 3-10. The abbreviations are defined in table 3. Figures 1-4 represent the data presented in tables 7-10.

TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF LUBRICATION OF A MONTH OF REMOVAL, LOADED MUD OF LOW QUALITY (1.6 AMPS CONSTANT) 0 ib " twenty 40 Four. Five 50 L9 i The key torc? nnetro reading (XI) was read with the torque set to constant amper-aje; bF is an optional food grade mineral oil, viscosity modifier, or plasticizer, and is FGA branded (available from Unocal Corp., Brea California) 2 (1 TABLE 4 LUBRICATION COMPARISON OF ONE MONTH OF RINSE, LOADED MUD OF LOW QUALITY (1.8 AMPS CONSTANT) or ~ > TABLE 5 LUBRICATION COMPARISON OF ONE MONTH OF AGING, LOADED MUD OF LOW QUALITY (1.6 AMPS CONSTANT) THE 1 0 > ? TABLE 6 COMPARISON OF LUBRICATION OF A MONTH OF AGING, LOW LOADED MUD (1.8 AMPS CONSTANT) '..' *! b- TABLE 7 LUBRICATION COMPARISON OF ONE MONTH OF AGING, LOADED MUD OF LOW QUALITY (1.6 AMPS CONSTANT) TABLE 8 COMPARISON OF LUBRICATION OF A MONTH OF REMOVAL, LOW LOADED LOUD QUALITY (1.8 AMPS CONSTANT) TABLE 9 COMPARISON OF ONE-MONTH LUBRICATION, LOW-QUALITY LOADED MUD (1.6 AMPS CONSTANT) eleven LO 5 0 40 TABLE 10 COMPARISON OF ONE-MONTH LUBRICATION, LOW-QUALITY LOADED MUD (1.8 CONSTANT AMPS) 14 A statistical comparative analysis of all the loaded and unloaded sludge studied to date shows that the use of an additive as defined by module 5 in an amount of up to 2.0% by volume, gives superior results on products. previous In practice, relative relative module concentrations for a given drilling fluid can easily be changed at will by an expert in the art to convert an existing mud to a different Jodo system. Factors to be considered in the decision on a desired mud system include the type of hole, ie, vertical, inclined, deviated, directional, radial, horizontal, or horizontal; the type of training (drilling, drilling economy, and environmental safety, among others evident to the person skilled in the art) In the present invention, an equipment containing the different modules of the invention is also contemplated. In this aspect of the invention, the drilling mud equipment comprises a plurality of containers, with their contents defined as follows: (a) A first container that can be conveniently prepared and used to direct the drilling conditions encountered in the field. contains a source of caustic agent, a natural wax and a natural diluent; (b) A second container containing aluminum metal or the product of the reaction of aluminum metal, in combination with the contents of the first container; ? c) A twisting container that contains at least one of an alkali metal phosphate, sodium silicate, and optionally borax, in combination with the contents of the first ingredient; (d) A fourth vessel containing a source of saturated carboxylic acid or saturated, a surfactant, and a preservative, as defined above, in combination with the contents of the first container; / (e) A fifth container that contains a combination of the first, third and fourth container components. Of course, the compositions in the equipment containers set forth above are described in their simplest form, and are premeasured, and other combinations are possible. For example, the components of the third container which are additional to the content of the container pruner can be provided alone in the third container, instead of being pre-filled with the components of the first container. Similarly, the components unique to the fourth container may be provided separately from the contents of the first container. The invention will now be described by way of examples which illustrate the present invention but do not limit it.

EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 A lubricant additive / sludge diluent was prepared corresponding to a combination of modules 1, 3 and 4, that is, modulo 5, and the designation (T) was given. In this composition, module 1 was represented by * a scouring tank liquor, which was provided in no more than 40 c * c per barrel of total laboratory (1 barrel - 158.8 liters in the field and 1 barrel = 350 ce in the laboratory). Module 3 was represented by sodium tp phosphate (TSP) in an amount of 5.5 g, for 40 ce. Module 4 was represented by borax (preservative), boratearn (surfactant), and raw cottonseed oil provided at 50% by volume. It is noted that the viscosity of the product can be changed (diluted) with the addition of mineral oil F, such as food grade mineral oil for example FTA (Unocal), provided at 10% of the total volume of cottonseed oil. To prepare the lubricant additive, the components are conveniently pre-polished in separate tanks as follows. In tank 1, 4.5 kilograms of borax and 2.5 kilograms of borateam detergent are mixed (borax and borateain react in water to form boric acid and borateam acts as a surfactant), and the tank is taken to a barrel with water. In tank 2, 21.6 kilograms of TSP are placed per barrel of liquor. In tank 3, 1890 liters of raw cottonseed oil are added, which forms an emulsion base for a base module that remains alone.

EXAMPLE 2 The lubricant additive is then prepared in a 208 liter drum from the contents of tanks J, 2 and 1 described above. In this way, 03.95 1 of crude cottonseed oil from tank 3 is filled into the drum, then 17 1 of the tank liquor containing TSP from tank 2 is added. Then, 86.9 1 of the solution is added to the drum. of the preservative / surfactant in the tank 1. A lubricant / diluent additive is thus formed representing the modules 1, 3 and 4, that is, module 5, which was designated as formulation (J).

EXAMPLE 3 An aluminum composition representative of the module can be formed separately. This material thickens the oil and reduces the need for siliceous solids to ernulsify the oil to produce a very thick fat. The consistency or viscosity of the aluminum product can be modified, i.e., diluted by means of the addition of a mineral oil, for example FGA, or thickened by the addition of aluminum metal which reacts to produce ions to the aninate. 18 In this case, 0.2 g of pure Al metal is added to 40 cc of scouring tank liquor (at laboratory scale) and the rest of 350 cc is carried with water. The amount of metal fll added can be adjusted as necessary depending on the drilling conditions.

EXAMPLE 4 EVALUATION AND VALIDATION OF PERFORMANCE Different drilling mud lubricants were compared according to the invention with formulations of the prior art. The preferred prior art ester lubricant in the present lubricant (x) was compared to a formulation of the invention, referred to herein as (I). As shown in Table 7 and Figure 1, the "friction factors" for (x) and (1) were 0-36 and 0.20, respectively varnonte. The respective slopes of the lines shown therein are referred to herein as the "friction factors". As is evident from Figure 1, assuming a price of $ 13 for 3.78 liters, the lubricant (x) provides only 36 units ($ 13 / 0.36), while the lubricant (T) provides 65 units ($ 13 / 0.20). In this way, the formulation (I) performs 1.81 times better than the lubricant (x) for the same unit cost. As shown in Table 8 and Figure 2, the analogous comparison to 1.8 constant arnps gives the lubricant (x) 31 units ($ 13 / 0.42) and a lubricant / diluent (T) 65 units ($ 13 / 0.20). Under these conditions, a formulation of the invention performs 2.10 times better for the same unit cost as the lubricant (X. In the figures and figures, the torque of the motor (Tw) is referred to by the manufacturer. or corno? nk f .. The torque of the motor Tu, is given with the following formula: rm - P / W (L) In formula (1), P r-epresent power in horsepower where 1..0 horsepower - 75.5 rn kg / sec. The strengths are determined by the following formula: P = T x V / W (2) The variable T represents the current drawn when the motor is loaded in amperes. The variable V represents the source of electric power in volts. In both equations 1 and 2, i represents the rotational speed of the engine in revolutions per second. The variable u is given by the following formula l - 2 X 3..14 x IM / 60 (3) Where N are revolutions per minute (rpm on the frames). The electrochromic reading parameter corresponding to a given motor torque is also presented in the tables. The torquimetro reading is simply the measurement of the calibrator in centimeter ros / k i Achieve. The laboratory data were subjected to a statistical analysis to determine the normal deviation and a comparison test. These statistical results are summarized in table 11 below. The least-squares adjustment for the data is shown as lines in Figures 1-4.

TABLE II STATISTIC ANALYSIS Data in eJ 8 t Table No .. 3 1,050 9,914 4 1,301 17,014 5 1,762 6,917 6 1,823 13.31? 7 1,309 19,286 8 1,144 34,611 9 1,844 11,369 10 2,993 14.972 EXAMPLE 5 The results of a typical performance evaluation are presented in Table 12 below. Said measurements such as viscosity, formation point, gel strength at 10 seconds and 10 minutes, at dredge mud temperature at 6 degrees deviation from the hole, loss of fluid when treated by ammonia lick poliacp, depression depression of the deposit regulator torsion reaction pair, characterization of mud scale, flow velocity, drilling speed in the auger load (UOB) to Ri, life of bit, weight of the mud, time for descent of square transmission shank, and Solid control is given in Table 12. Par- ticularly significant comparisons are the drilling speed and the time for descent of the square rod of transmission by a pipe joint (9.15 meters) gel resistance viscosity, fluid loss, and torque Torsion of reaction of pipe in hole diverted to 6o.

As shown in Table 12, a mud system containing only 0.001% formulation (I), representative of Module 5, is clearly superior when compared to an untreated mud. In addition, a typical total log gauge shows some drift of the hole before mud treatment; however, after treatment at 0.001% by volume, the log caliber shows an almost perfect caliber hole.

TABLE 12 EVALUATION AND PERFORATION OF PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD The toxicity of the present formulation was compared with EPA 7 generic sludge and the EPA certified laboratory reports that the product is non-toxic and the LC 50 value is greater than 1,000,000 ppm at a dosage Ipic average EXAMPLE 6 Some physical characteristics of a lubricant / dil present are that it has a specific gravity of between 1.001 and 0.998 g / cc, a surface tension of 24.2 dynes / crn, and a color indicating a non-fluorescent black liquid. The present invention has been described with a degree of particularity to illustrate different aspects of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the scope of the claimed invention is defined by the appended claims, and the obvious equivalents thereof.

Claims (9)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A drilling mud system comprising at least one of the following modules: a primer * alkaline module containing a source of caustic agent, a natural wax, and a natural diluent; A second module prepared by reacting aluminum metal with the components of said first alkaline module thereby forming a soluble alkaline metal alumina; a third module containing said components of said first module in combination with at least one of an alkaline metal phosphate and sodium silicate; A fourth module containing said components of said first module in combination with a source of saturated or saturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant, and a preservative; and a fifth module containing said components of said first module in combination with a source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant, a preservative, and at least one of alkaline metal phosphate and sodium silicate; and said third, fourth and fifth modules can be used to dilute and increase the lubricity, simultaneously, of a per-session mud, and said second module can be used to thicken a drilling mud.

2. The drilling mud system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first module is composed of liquor * of scouring tank.

3. A drilling mud prepared by reacting aluminum rnetal with a composition containing a caustic agent, a natural wax, a natural diluent, thereby forming an aluminate of soluble alkaline metal.

4. - A drilling mud that contains a source of caustic agent, a natural wax, a natur-al diluent, and porto minus one of an alkali metal phosphate and sodium-alkali.

5. The drilling mud according to claim 4, further characterized in that it comprises borax.

6. The drilling mud according to claim 4, further characterized in that the alkali metal phosphate is selected from the group consisting of mono-, di-, and sodium triphosphate, mono-, di-, and triphosphate of potassium, and cesium mono-, di-, and tprostate.

7. A drilling mud containing a caustic agent, a natural wax, and a natural diluent, a source of saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant and a preservative.

8. A drilling mud containing a caustic agent, a natural wax, a natural diluent, a source of saturated or saturated carboxylic acid, a surfactant, a preservative, and at least one of an alkali metal phosphate and sodium silicate.

9. - A drilling method comprising injecting a drilling mud in accordance with claim 1, in a drill hole and drilling into the ground.