Patent ID: 7544640

Claim:
A composition for forming a wellbore spacer fluid comprising: a zeolite present from about 60 to 70% by weight of the composition, the zeolite being represented by the formula: M a/n [(AlO 2 ) a (SiO 2 ) b ]·xH 2 O where M represents one or more cations selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Li, Ba, NH 4 , CH 3 NH 3 , (CH 3 ) 3 NH, (CH 3 ) 4 N, Ga, Ge and P; n represents the cation valence; the ratio of b:a is in a range of from greater than or equal to 1 to less than or equal to 5; and x represents the number of moles of water entrained into the zeolite framework; a clay present from about 20 to 30% by weight of the composition selected from the group consisting of kaolinites, montmorillonite, bentonite, hydrous micas, attapulgite, sepiolite, and laponite; and a polymeric material present from about 1 to 3% by weight of the composition selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, cellulose, carboxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, propylcellulose, ethylcarboxymethylcellulose, methylethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, starch, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara, konjak, karaya gum, welan gum, xanthan gum, galactomannan gums, succinoglycan gums, scleroglucan gums, tragacanth gum, arabic gum, ghatti gum, tamarind gum, carrageenan, carboxymethyl guar, hydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethylhydroxypropyl guar, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyacrylamide, maleic anhydride, methylvinyl ether copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinylpyrrolidone.