Aggregating reagents and methods for making and using same

Abstract

Methods including using fluid including an aggregating composition including heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, polyvinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers (ethylenically unsaturated mononers and diene monomers), or mixtures or combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters or amine-phosphate reaction products during drilling or fracturing operations to alter self-aggregating properties and/or aggregation propensities of the particles, surfaces, and/or materials in or entrained in the fluid.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for drilling comprising the step of:
 while drilling, circulating a drilling fluid, to provide bit lubrication, heat removal and cutting removal,   where the drilling fluid includes an aggregating composition comprising heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, polyvinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers, or mixtures and combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters and amine-phosphate ester reaction products, and   where the aggregating composition alters an aggregation potential or propensity and/or a zeta potential of particulate materials in the drilling fluid or that becomes entrained in the drilling fluid to increase solids removal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein drilling conditions comprise over-pressure drilling conditions, under-balanced drilling conditions, or under managed pressure drilling conditions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the drilling conditions are under-balanced drilling conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the drilling conditions are managed pressure drilling conditions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aggregating composition further comprises ethoxylated alcohols, or glymes or a carrier or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the carrier comprising low molecular weight alcohols having between 1 and 5 carbon atoms or mixtures and combinations thereof, where one or more of the carbon atoms may be an oxygen atom. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the non amine polymerizable monomers are ethylenically unsaturated mononers and diene monomers,   the substituents of the substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines are carbyl groups having between about between about 1 and 40 carbon atoms and the required hydrogen atoms to satisfy the valence and where one or more of the carbon atoms can be replaced by one or more hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur or mixture or combinations thereof and where one or more of the hydrogen atoms can be replaced by one or more single valence atoms selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine or mixtures or combinations thereof.   the heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines comprise aniline and alkyl anilines or mixtures of alkyl anilines, pyridines and alkyl pyridines or mixtures of alkyl pyridines, pyrrole and alkyl pyrroles or mixtures of alkyl pyrroles, piperidine and alkyl piperidines or mixtures of alkyl piperidines, pyrrolidine and alkyl pyrrolidines or mixtures of alkyl pyrrolidines, indole and alkyl indoles or mixture of alkyl indoles, imidazole and alkyl imidazole or mixtures of alkyl imidazole, quinoline and alkyl quinoline or mixture of alkyl quinoline, isoquinoline and alkyl isoquinoline or mixture of alkyl isoquinoline, pyrazine and alkyl pyrazine or mixture of alkyl pyrazine, quinoxaline and alkyl quinoxaline or mixture of alkyl quinoxaline, acridine and alkyl acridine or mixture of alkyl acridine, pyrimidine and alkyl pyrimidine or mixture of alkyl pyrimidine, quinazoline and alkyl quinazoline or mixture of alkyl quinazoline, or mixtures or combinations thereof, and   the polymers and copolymers comprise polymer and copolymers of vinyl pyridine, vinyl substituted pyridine, vinyl pyrrole, vinyl substituted pyrroles, vinyl piperidine, vinyl substituted piperidines, vinyl pyrrolidine, vinyl substituted pyrrolidines, vinyl indole, vinyl substituted indoles, vinyl imidazole, vinyl substituted imidazole, vinyl quinoline, vinyl substituted quinoline, vinyl isoquinoline, vinyl substituted isoquinoline, vinyl pyrazine, vinyl substituted pyrazine, vinyl quinoxaline, vinyl substituted quinoxaline, vinyl acridine, vinyl substituted acridine, vinyl pyrimidine, vinyl substituted pyrimidine, vinyl quinazoline, vinyl substituted quinazoline, or mixtures and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         8 . A method for drilling including the steps of:
 while drilling, circulating a first drilling fluid to provide bit lubrication, heat removal and cutting removal,   upon encountering an underground structure that produces undesirable quantities of particulate solids, changing the first drilling fluid to a second drilling fluid including an aggregating composition comprising heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, poly vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers, or mixtures and combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters and amine-phosphate reaction products to provide bit lubrication, heat removal and cutting removal and to alter an aggregation potential or an absolute value of a zeta potential of the particulate solids in the drilling fluid or formation or that becomes entrained in the drilling fluid to increase solids removal and to decrease particles flowing from the formation into the drilling fluid.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein drilling conditions comprise over-pressure drilling conditions, under-balanced drilling conditions, or under managed pressure drilling conditions. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the drilling conditions are under-balanced drilling conditions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the drilling conditions are managed pressure drilling conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the aggregating composition further comprises ethoxylated alcohols, or glymes or a carrier or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
 after passing through the structure that produces an undesired quantities of particulate solids, change the second drilling fluid to the first drilling fluid or a third drilling fluid.   
     
     
         14 . A method for fracturing a formation including the step of:
 pumping a fracturing fluid including a proppant into a producing formation at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation and to enhance productivity,   where the proppant props open the formation after fracturing, and   where the proppant comprises a solid particles treated with a treating composition comprising heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, poly vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers, or mixtures and combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters under conditions sufficient for the composition to form a partial or complete coating on the particles.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fracturing fluid further includes an aggregating composition comprising heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, poly vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers, or mixtures and combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters, where the aggregating composition results in a modification of an aggregation propensity, and/or zeta-potential of the proppant, formation particles and/or formation surfaces so that the formation particles and/or proppant aggregate and/or cling to the formation surfaces. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the aggregating composition further comprises ethoxylated alcohols, or glymes or a carrier or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the carrier comprising low molecular weight alcohols having between 1 and 5 carbon atoms or mixtures and combinations thereof, where one or more of the carbon atoms may be an oxygen atom.
 The method of  claim 14 , wherein   the non amine polymerizable monomers are ethylenically unsaturated mononers and diene monomers,   the substituents of the substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines are carbyl groups having between about between about 1 and 40 carbon atoms and the required hydrogen atoms to satisfy the valence and where one or more of the carbon atoms can be replaced by one or more hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur or mixture or combinations thereof and where one or more of the hydrogen atoms can be replaced by one or more single valence atoms selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine or mixtures or combinations thereof.   the heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines comprise aniline and alkyl anilines or mixtures of alkyl anilines, pyridines and alkyl pyridines or mixtures of alkyl pyridines, pyrrole and alkyl pyrroles or mixtures of alkyl pyrroles, piperidine and alkyl piperidines or mixtures of alkyl piperidines, pyrrolidine and alkyl pyrrolidines or mixtures of alkyl pyrrolidines, indole and alkyl indoles or mixture of alkyl indoles, imidazole and alkyl imidazole or mixtures of alkyl imidazole, quinoline and alkyl quinoline or mixture of alkyl quinoline, isoquinoline and alkyl isoquinoline or mixture of alkyl isoquinoline, pyrazine and alkyl pyrazine or mixture of alkyl pyrazine, quinoxaline and alkyl quinoxaline or mixture of alkyl quinoxaline, acridine and alkyl acridine or mixture of alkyl acridine, pyrimidine and alkyl pyrimidine or mixture of alkyl pyrimidine, quinazoline and alkyl quinazoline or mixture of alkyl quinazoline, or mixtures or combinations thereof, and   the polymers and copolymers comprise polymer and copolymers of vinyl pyridine, vinyl substituted pyridine, vinyl pyrrole, vinyl substituted pyrroles, vinyl piperidine, vinyl substituted piperidines, vinyl pyrrolidine, vinyl substituted pyrrolidines, vinyl indole, vinyl substituted indoles, vinyl imidazole, vinyl substituted imidazole, vinyl quinoline, vinyl substituted quinoline, vinyl isoquinoline, vinyl substituted isoquinoline, vinyl pyrazine, vinyl substituted pyrazine, vinyl quinoxaline, vinyl substituted quinoxaline, vinyl acridine, vinyl substituted acridine, vinyl pyrimidine, vinyl substituted pyrimidine, vinyl quinazoline, vinyl substituted quinazoline, or mixtures and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         18 . A method for fracturing a formation including the step of:
 pumping a fracturing fluid including an aggregating composition comprising heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines, poly vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amines, co-polymers of vinyl heterocyclic aromatic amine and non amine polymerizable monomers, or mixtures or combinations thereof in the absence of phosphate esters, into a producing formation at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation and to enhance productivity, where the aggregating composition results in an altering an aggregation propensity, potential and/or zeta-potential of the formation particles and/or formation surfaces so that the formation particles aggregate and/or cling to the formation surfaces, and   pumping a proppant comprising a uncoated and/or coated particles after fracturing so that the particles prop open the fracture formation and where the coated particles tend to aggregate on the formation surfaces and/or formation particles formed during fracturing.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the aggregating composition further comprises ethoxylated alcohols, or glymes or a carrier or mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the carrier comprising low molecular weight alcohols having between 1 and 5 carbon atoms or mixtures and combinations thereof, where one or more of the carbon atoms may be an oxygen atom.
 The method of  claim 18 , wherein   the non amine polymerizable monomers are ethylenically unsaturated mononers and diene monomers,   the substituents of the substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines are carbyl groups having between about between about 1 and 40 carbon atoms and the required hydrogen atoms to satisfy the valence and where one or more of the carbon atoms can be replaced by one or more hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur or mixture or combinations thereof and where one or more of the hydrogen atoms can be replaced by one or more single valence atoms selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine or mixtures or combinations thereof.   the heterocyclic aromatic amines, substituted heterocyclic aromatic amines comprise aniline and alkyl anilines or mixtures of alkyl anilines, pyridines and alkyl pyridines or mixtures of alkyl pyridines, pyrrole and alkyl pyrroles or mixtures of alkyl pyrroles, piperidine and alkyl piperidines or mixtures of alkyl piperidines, pyrrolidine and alkyl pyrrolidines or mixtures of alkyl pyrrolidines, indole and alkyl indoles or mixture of alkyl indoles, imidazole and alkyl imidazole or mixtures of alkyl imidazole, quinoline and alkyl quinoline or mixture of alkyl quinoline, isoquinoline and alkyl isoquinoline or mixture of alkyl isoquinoline, pyrazine and alkyl pyrazine or mixture of alkyl pyrazine, quinoxaline and alkyl quinoxaline or mixture of alkyl quinoxaline, acridine and alkyl acridine or mixture of alkyl acridine, pyrimidine and alkyl pyrimidine or mixture of alkyl pyrimidine, quinazoline and alkyl quinazoline or mixture of alkyl quinazoline, or mixtures or combinations thereof, and   the polymers and copolymers comprise polymer and copolymers of vinyl pyridine, vinyl substituted pyridine, vinyl pyrrole, vinyl substituted pyrroles, vinyl piperidine, vinyl substituted piperidines, vinyl pyrrolidine, vinyl substituted pyrrolidines, vinyl indole, vinyl substituted indoles, vinyl imidazole, vinyl substituted imidazole, vinyl quinoline, vinyl substituted quinoline, vinyl isoquinoline, vinyl substituted isoquinoline, vinyl pyrazine, vinyl substituted pyrazine, vinyl quinoxaline, vinyl substituted quinoxaline, vinyl acridine, vinyl substituted acridine, vinyl pyrimidine, vinyl substituted pyrimidine, vinyl quinazoline, vinyl substituted quinazoline, or mixtures and combinations thereof.