Patent ID: 8455403
Filing Date: 2013-06-04
Classification: B82Y,C04B,C09K,E21B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for treating a well penetrating a subterranean formation comprising: mixing into a drilling mud formulation an effective amount of a polymeric nanocomposite spherical bead comprising: a thermoset polymer matrix and from 0.001 to 60 volume percent of nanofiller particles possessing a length that is less than 0.5 microns in at least one principal axis direction, wherein said nanofiller particles comprise at least one of dispersed fine particulate material, fibrous material, discoidal material, or a combination of such materials; and wherein said nanofiller particles are selected from the group of nanofillers consisting of: carbon black, fumed silica, fumed alumina, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, cellulosic nanofibers, fly ash, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, or mixtures thereof, and wherein said nanofiller particles are dispersed throughout said polymeric nanocomposite spherical bead, wherein said spherical bead has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 4 mm; and introducing said drilling mud formulation with said effective amount of the polymer nanocomposite spherical bead into said well.