| abstract |
An effective amount of amphiphilic star polymers and surfactants may be applied to downhole fluids containing oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, such as drilling fluids, completion fluids, drill-in fluids, workover fluids, and remediation fluids, to stabilize the emulsions and improve rheological properties of these fluids for use in oil and gas production operations. The star polymers and surfactants may be applied to the downhole fluid separately or as a blend to generate emulsions within the fluid that have substantially uniform droplet size. |