Patent ID: 7377721

Claim:
A method of injecting drill cuttings into a downhole area of a subterranean well, said method comprising: a) collecting the drilling cuttings from a subterranean well drilled with an invert emulsion drilling fluid, said invert emulsion drilling fluid includes: an oleaginous fluid; a non-oleaginous fluid; an amine surfactant having the structure wherein R is a C 12 -C 22 aliphatic hydrocarbon; R′ is an independently selectable from hydrogen or C 1 to C 3 alkyl; A is NH or O, and 1≦x+y≦3; c) adding acid to said drilling cuttings so as to change the drilling cuttings from being oil wet to being water wet; d) grinding and suspending said cuttings in an aqueous based injection fluid; and e) injecting said suspension of cuttings in injecting fluid into a disposal zone in a subterranean well.