Base stocks having Group III/III+ characteristics are prepared from certain advantageous crude oils via simplified process configurations and/or under less severe process conditions. Crude oils comprising a vacuum gas oil (VGO) fraction having a ratio of a sum of paraffin content plus 1-Ring species content to multi-ring species content that is greater than or equal to about 1.5 are advantageous in this context. Other parameters such as API gravity and crude compositional ranges may also be considered for identifying advantageous crudes. In some instances, advantageous crudes are processed into Group III base stocks via a process configuration in which the crude oil is directly supplied to a hydroprocessing unit.

In one embodiment, a retarded acid system comprises an aqueous acid and a retarding surfactant. The aqueous acid may comprise from 5 wt. % to 25 wt. % of a strong acid, that is, an acid having a K.sub.a greater than or equal to 0.01. The aqueous acid may further comprise from 75 wt. % to 95 wt. % water. The retarding surfactant may have the general chemical formula R(OC.sub.2H.sub.4).sub.XOH where R is a hydrocarbon having from 11 to 15 carbon atoms and x is an integer from 6 to 10. The retarding surfactant may have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance from 8 to 16.

A hydrocarbon fluid is disclosed that has a pour point of at most 30 C., as measured by ASTM D5950, and that comprises at least 99 wt % of naphthenes and paraffins, based on the total weight of the hydrocarbon fluid, wherein the weight ratio of naphthenes to paraffins is at least 1, as measured by GC-MS, and wherein the paraffins consist essentially of isoparaffins, as determined by GC-FID. In addition, preferred uses of said hydrocarbon fluid are disclosed.

Embodiments are directed to a lubricant package for water based drilling fluids. The lubricant package includes water, a polyethylene glycol, and a lubricating agent. The lubricating agent includes triethanolamine, or a C.sub.12-C.sub.14 alcohol ethoxylate, or a combination of triethanolamine and C.sub.12-C.sub.14 alcohol ethoxylate. The weight ratio of the polyethylene glycol to the lubricating agent in the lubricant package is from 1:2 to 2:1. Embodiments are also directed to a water-based drilling fluid composition including an aqueous base fluid, one or more additives, and the lubricant package for water based drilling fluids.

Provided is a mineral base oil that conforms to viscosity grades VG22 to VG100 as defined in ISO 3448 and exhibits a distillation curve with a temperature gradient |DT| of distillation temperature between two points of 2.0 vol % and 5.0 vol % of distillation amount being 6.8 C./vol % or less. A vacuum pump oil containing the mineral base oil is excellent in vacuum characteristics and can conform to viscosity grades VG22 to VG100 as defined in ISO 3448.

In one embodiment, a retarded acid system comprises an aqueous acid and a retarding surfactant. The aqueous acid may comprise from 5 wt. % to 25 wt. % of a strong acid, that is, an acid having a K.sub.a greater than or equal to 0.01. The aqueous acid may further comprise from 75 wt. % to 95 wt. % water. The retarding surfactant may have the general chemical formula R(OC.sub.2H.sub.4).sub.XOH where R is a hydrocarbon having from 11 to 15 carbon atoms and x is an integer from 6 to 10. The retarding surfactant may have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance from 8 to 16.

A product resulting from the reaction of at least: a hydroxybenzoic acid, optionally substituted by a hydrocarbyl group, a boron compound, an amine component selected from compounds including two or three amine functions, wherein at least one amine function is substituted by at least one hydrocarbyl group. A lubricant composition including this product. Use of this product as a lubricant for two-stroke marine engines and four-stroke marine engines, more preferably two-stroke marine engines.

A transformer oil basestock is disclosed that includes at least 99 wt % of naphthenes and paraffins, based on the total weight of the transformer oil basestock, wherein the weight ratio of naphthenes to paraffins is at least 1, as measured by GC-MS, and wherein the paraffins consist essentially of isoparaffins, as determined by GC-FID. In addition, a transformer oil composition is disclosed that includes the transformer oil basestock, an anti-gassing agent and an antioxidant.

A drilling fluid composition which includes a base fluid, one or more additives, and a viscosifier package. The base fluid is an invert emulsion comprising oil and water. Further, the one or more additives is chosen from an emulsifier, a weighting material, a fluid-loss control additive, or an alkaline compound. The viscosifier package includes a fatty acid having 6 or more carbon atoms and an aliphatic polyester. The drilling fluid composition has a yield point of from 30 lb.sub.f/100 ft.sup.2 to 100 lb.sub.f/100 ft.sup.2 and a low shear yield point of from 10 lb.sub.f/100 ft.sup.2 to 40 lb.sub.f/100 ft.sup.2. The associated method of drilling a subterranean well including operating a drill in a wellbore in the presence of the drilling fluid composition is also provided.

In one embodiment, a spacer fluid may comprise a base fluid and a surfactant package. The surfactant package may comprise one or more surfactants, where the surfactant package comprises a first surfactant having the chemical structure R(OC.sub.2H.sub.4).sub.xOH. R may be a hydrocarbyl group having from 9 to 20 carbon atom, and x may be an integer from 5 and 15. The first surfactant may have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of from 12 to 13.5.