Patent ID: 8141661

Claim:
A method for drilling a well comprising the steps of: adding an effective amount of a foaming composition to a hydrocarbon base fluid to form a hydrocarbon drilling fluid, where the foaming composition comprises a foaming agent and a stabilizing amount of a polymer, where the stabilizing amount of the polymer is sufficient to form a foam stable to a temperature of at least 350° F., where the foaming agent comprises a silicone foaming agent, a fluorinated oligomeric or polymeric foaming agent, or a mixtures thereof, where the polymer comprises a block copolymer of styrene and a diene, and where the polymer is present in an amount sufficient to increase a viscosity of the base fluid at a shear rate of 0.06 l/s to a viscosity above 40,000 cP, pumping the hydrocarbon drilling fluid into a drill string while drilling, pumping an organophillic gas into the well at or near a distal end of the drilling string or at or near a drill bit at a rate sufficient to produce a foamed drilling fluid having a reduced fluid column weight, having a foam height between about 110 mL and about 200 mL and having a half life between about 2 minutes and about 5 minutes, where the foamed drilling fluid increases a fluid removal rate from the well and increases cuttings and other entrained materials removal from the well, and withdrawing the foam from the well.