Patent ID: 6096690
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: C09K,Y10S

Abstract:
A substantially non-toxic, non-polluting, biodegradable drilling fluid composition useful in the production of oil and gas which comprises,(i) at least one additive selected from the group consisting of weighting agents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, viscosifiers, fluid loss control agents, proppants and particulate agents, emulsified with(ii) a continuous oil phase of a mixture of C.sub.10 -C.sub.24 n-paraffins and isoparaffins having an isoparaffin:n-paraffin molar ratio ranging from about 0.5:1 to about 9:1, the isoparaffins of the mixture contains at least about 30 percent of mono-methyl species, and at least about 30 percent of isoparaffins which are multi-methyl branched or contain one or more branches of carbon number higher than methyl, based on the total weight of the isoparaffins in the mixture.