Development of Oil Based Foam for Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling PMCD Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wu ◽  
Glenn Penny ◽  
Sai Sashankh Rao ◽  
Juan Mollica ◽  
Ganesh Arunkumar Samdani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foam Stability ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Ambient Pressure ◽  
Control Device ◽  
Rotational Stability ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Base Oil ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Pressure Transmission ◽  
Major Factors

Abstract Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling (PMCD) technique is typically applied for drilling formations with natural fractures and large vugs that result in severe or total losses. The density of the drilling fluid used in PMCD is slightly below reservoir pore pressure. In the case of very low reservoir pressures below base oil densities (~6.7 ppg), foam can be an option. This paper presents a methodology to develop an oil-based foam system for a PMCD application. The scope includes the descriptions of a foam PMCD application, functional requirements of foam, the development workflow, testing procedures, and modeling that are necessary to qualify a foam for PMCD application. The development methodology first involves identifying the constraints and well conditions of a given PMCD application; these include wellpath, hole and casing sections, reservoir pressure and temperature, surface pumping pressure limits (typically a rotating control device limit), foam stability requirements, etc. The above constraints drive the performance requirements for the foam. Next comes the design of the foam formulation and evaluating its performance against these requirements through various lab tests and modeling efforts, which can include ambient pressure half-life tests for initial screening, static and rotational stability tests at in-situ well conditions, rheology tests, solubility tests, pressure transmission estimates, gas migration estimates, and hydraulics modeling. Example results from the lab tests and modeling are shown to provide more insights into the development process. The proposed methodology may be used as a guide to design a foam drilling fluid for a PMCD application. The iterative nature of the development method is shown and is driven by the functional requirements that are coupled to each other. For example, a more viscous foam may be more stable but it may not be pumpable. Likewise, a less viscous foam may be pumpable but may not be sufficiently stable. Similarly, a highly compressible foam may not be good at pressure transmission to monitor downhole pressure variations as compared to a less compressible foam. In summary, the methodology described in this paper explains the development of an oil-based foam for a PMCD application that satisfies a set of operational constraints and functional requirements while highlighting the major factors that could impact foam performance. The application of foam to PMCD is a new concept and to our knowledge has not been applied in the field; in significantly depleted reservoirs this may become a viable option.

Development of a Reproducible Method of Formulating and Testing Drilling Fluids

1969 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 403-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.K. Sinha ◽  
Harvey T. Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Asymptotic Values

Abstract Recommendations are made for obtaining consistent and reproducible test data on drilling fluids having identical composition. Previously, such a procedure has been difficult to accomplish even when the fluids were mixed in similar equipment. A survey of work in this area indicates that previous methods have been unsatisfactory because previous methods have been unsatisfactory because (1) the muds are extremely sensitive to the duration and violence of agitation during a normal mixing routine, and (2) gelling of the muds occurs before the properties can reach constant values. This gelling is caused by water evaporation resulting from the increase in temperature associated with the agitation. The work shows that these problems largely can be overcome by (1) agitating the constituents of the drilling fluid more vigorously, (2) maintaining a fairly constant temperature, and(3) Protecting the fluid from evaporation. When these steps are followed, the fluid properties approach asymptotic values that do not change by prolonged or accelerated agitation or by aging for a month. The time required to reach asymptotic values or a stabilized state is from 2 to 6 hours and is a function of the mud composition. Introduction Preparation of drilling fluids in the laboratory to determine their suitability to meet specific drilling requirements or to serve as a base fluid to evaluate the effectiveness of thinners, dispersants or other additives normally begins with combining measured quantities of the constituents and stirring them for a short time in a low-speed mixer. This is done to obtain a uniform mixture and to hydrate clays. Then the fluid is further agitated in a higher-speed device (Hamilton Beach mixer or Waring blender) to disperse more thoroughly and clay particles The biggest obstacle in the laboratory investigation of drilling fluids has been the lack of a method of producing a mixture by which reproducible results of the measured properties could be obtained. Numerous investigators have encountered this difficulty. Prior to 1929, density was the only property of mud that customarily was measured. The use of Wyoming bentonite on a large scale after 1929 was mainly responsible for the development of more elaborate testing procedures and for the application of the principles of colloid chemistry to the drilling fluids. Ambrose and Loomis in 1931 were among the first to recognize the plastic flow characteristics of drilling fluids, although Bingham in 1916 had observed The same phenomenon with dilute clay suspensions. Marsh introduced the Marsh funnel for field testing in 1931. By this time, non-Newtonian characteristics of drilling fluids were established. The Stormer and MacMichael viscometers were used to study the rheological properties of the fluids. In the 1930's and early 1940's, the work conducted by several investigators contributed toward a better understanding of drilling fluids. In the mid 1930's, fluid-loss and the associated mud-cake-forming properties of drilling fluids were recognized as important to the behavior of these fluids. The other properties of drilling fluids, including gel strength, pH, and sand content soon were recognized. In 1937, API published its first recommended procedure for test methods. Since that time, these procedures have been revised periodically. The latest edition, RP-13B, was published in 1961 However, in spite of the recognized need for a method of mixing that provides drilling fluids with stabilized properties, no such method previously has been described. SPEJ P. 403

Innovative Washpipe Free Circulating ICD Delivers Reduced Well Construction Costs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihua Wang ◽  
Daniel Newton ◽  
Aqib Qureshi ◽  
Yoshito Uchiyama ◽  
Georgina Corona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Aqueous Fluid ◽  
Control Device ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Inflow Control Device ◽  
Testing Field

Abstract This Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) field re-development of a giant offshore field in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) requires in most cases extremely long laterals to reach the defined reservoir targets. However, certain areas of the field show permeability and / or pressure variations along the horizontal laterals. This heterogeneity requires an inflow control device (ICD) lower completion liner to deliver the required well performance that will adequately produce and sweep the reservoir. The ICD lower completion along with the extremely long laterals means significant time is spent switching the well from reservoir drilling fluid (RDF) non-aqueous fluid (NAF) to an aqueous completion brine. To reduce the amount of rig time spent on the displacement portion of the completion phase, an innovative technology was developed to enable the ICDs to be run in hole in a closed position and enable circulating through the end of the liner. The technology uses a dissolvable material, which is installed in the ICD to temporarily plug it. The dissolvable material is inert to the RDF NAF while the ICDs are run into hole, and then dissolves in brine after the well is displaced from RDF NAF to completion brine, changing the ICDs from closed to an open position. The ability to circulate through the end of the liner, with the support of the plugged ICDs, when the lower completion is deployed and at total depth (TD), enables switching the well from RDF NAF drilling fluid to an aqueous completion brine without the associated rig time of the original displacement method. The technique eliminates the use of a dedicated inner displacement string and allows for the displacement to be performed with the liner running string, saving 4-5 days per well. An added bonus is that the unique design allowed for this feature to be retrofitted to existing standard ICDs providing improved inventory control. In this paper the authors will demonstrate the technology and system developed to perform this operation, as well as the qualification testing, field installations, and lessons learned that were required to take this solution from concept to successful performance improvement initiative.

Full Scale Flow Loop Experiments of Hole Cleaning Performances of Drilling Fluids

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan David Ytrehus ◽  
Ali Taghipour ◽  
Sneha Sayindla ◽  
Bjørnar Lund ◽  
Benjamin Werner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Section ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Flow Loop ◽  
Base Oil ◽  
Hole Cleaning ◽  
Cleaning Performance ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Fluid Properties ◽  
Drilling Cost

One important requirement for a drilling fluid is the ability to transport the cuttings out of the borehole. Improved hole cleaning is a key to solve several challenges in the drilling industry and will allow both longer wells and improved quality of well construction. It has been observed, however, that drilling fluids with similar properties according to the API standard can have significantly different behavior with respect to hole cleaning performance. The reasons for this are not fully understood. This paper presents results from flow loop laboratory tests without and with injected cuttings size particles using a base oil and a commercial oil based drilling fluid. The results demonstrate the importance of the rheological properties of the fluids for the hole cleaning performance. A thorough investigation of the viscoelastic properties of the fluids was performed with a Fann viscometer and a Paar-Physica rheometer, and was used to interpret the results from the flow loop experiments. Improved understanding of the fluid properties relevant to hole cleaning performance will help develop better models of wellbore hydraulics used in planning of well operations. Eventually this may lead to higher ROP with water based drilling fluids as obtained with oil based drilling fluids. This may ease cuttings handling in many operations and thereby significantly reduce the drilling cost using (normally) more environmentally friendly fluids. The experiments have been conducted as part of an industry-sponsored research project where understanding the hole cleaning performance of various oil and water based drilling fluids is the aim. The experiments have been performed under realistic conditions. The flow loop includes a 10 meter long test section with 2″ OD freely rotating drillstring inside a 4″ ID wellbore made of concrete. Sand particles were injected while circulating the drilling fluid through the test section in horizontal position.

The Development of a Pressure Actuated Isolation Nozzle Assembly and its Application as Flow Control Device in Extended Reach Water-Alternating-Gas Pilot Wells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihua Wang ◽  
Aqib Qureshi ◽  
Tarik A Abdelfattah ◽  
Joshua R Snitkoff
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Applied Pressure ◽  
Control Device ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Dissolution Time ◽  
Enhanced Production ◽  
Water Alternating Gas ◽  
Flow Control Device

Abstract The re-development of a giant offshore field in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consists predominantly of four artificial islands requiring in most cases extremely long horizontal laterals to reach the reservoir targets. Earlier SPE technical papers (1,2) have introduced the development, testing, qualification, and deployment of the plugged liner technology using the dissolvable plugged nozzles (DPNs). The use of DPN plugged liner technology has resulted in CAPEX savings and enhanced production performance. The benefits of DPN technology are its simplicity along with its cost effectiveness. However, the dissolvable material has some limitations, such as pressure rating and dissolution time, which are fluid chemistry dependent. To overcome these limits, a new Pressure Actuated Isolation Nozzle Assembly (PAINA) was developed as an alternative to the plugged liner tool for applications where a higher pressure rating is required, as well as on demand opening. Furthermore, the new PAINA also functions as a flow control device during injection and production, enhancing acid jetting effects during bullhead stimulation and reducing brine losses during liner installation. Liners with PAINAs can be run to TD similar to blank pipe: fluids can be circulated through the inside of the liner without the need for a wash pipe. Once on bottom, non-aqueous drilling fluid is displaced to brine without actuating the isolation mechanism. When the well is ready for production or injection, pressure is applied and the isolation mechanism is activated to establish communication between well and reservoir. These tools were successfully run as flow control devices in water-alternating-gas (WAG) pilot wells. The planning and execution of the initial application will be discussed, along with the tool development, qualification testing, and lessons learned. The key advantage of this technology is in extending plugged liner applications to cases where other pressure-operated tools are included as part of the liner lower completion. Pressure can be applied to the well multiple times without activating the isolation mechanism as long as the applied pressure is below the actuation pressure.

scholarly journals Decreasing Coalbed Methane Formation Damage Using Microfoamed Drilling Fluid Stabilized by Silica Nanoparticles

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihua Cai ◽  
Sui Gu ◽  
Fawen Wang ◽  
Xianyu Yang ◽  
Ye Yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Silica Nanoparticles ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Gas Permeability ◽  
Foam Stability ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Formation Damage ◽  
Methane Formation ◽  
Coal Seams ◽  
20 Nm

Coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs in China are featured in remarkable nanosized pores below 200 nm, acknowledged natural cleats, and tectonic fractures. This paper discussed the possibility that a clay free microfoamed drilling fluid could be stabilized by silica nanoparticles (CFMDF-NP) so as to avoid formation damage of CBM drilling. In accordance with the experimental results of foaming capacity and foam stability test, basic drilling fluid performance appraisal, micromorphology observation, swelling test, and gas permeability test, the mechanism of the CFMDF-NP was discussed in this paper. The results indicated that, with 10–20 nm nano-SiO2, the foaming volume of traditional foamed drilling fluid could be improved by up to 50% and an increased half-life period by up to 200%. Chemically treated nano-SiO2dispersions functioned as a foam stabilizer and a foaming agent as well. The CFMDF-NP had controllable density (0.7~1 g/cm3) and excellent rheological and sealing properties, which could satisfy the drilling requirements of the low pressure coal seams. With 5–8 mm slicing on the contaminated side of coal cores, the contaminated zone could be removed and the recovery rate of gas permeability could reach up to 70%. The CFMDF-NP laid good technical foundation to decrease formation damage of CBM reservoir.

The Shear-Thinning Elastohydrodynamic Film Thickness of a Two-Component Mixture

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchuan Liu ◽  
Q. Jane Wang ◽  
Ivan Krupka ◽  
Martin Hartl ◽  
Scott Bair
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Ambient Pressure ◽  
Point Contact ◽  
Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication ◽  
Shear Thinning ◽  
Component Mixture ◽  
Base Oil ◽  
Viscosity Models ◽  
Viscosity Behavior ◽  
Pure Rolling

Lubricant base oils are often blends of different molecular weight cuts to arrive at a specified ambient pressure viscosity and, to improve the temperature-viscosity behavior or to simply increase the viscosity, viscosity-modifying polymer additives are often added to the base oil. This paper investigates the effect of mixture rheology on elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film thickness using EHL contact measurements and a full numerical analysis for three synthetic lubricants including two single-component lubricants PAO650 and PAO100 and a mixture of these. The pressure and shear dependences of the viscosity of these lubricants were measured with high-pressure viscometers; viscosities were not adjusted to fit experiment. The point contact film thicknesses for these lubricants in pure rolling were measured using a thin-film colorimetric interferometry apparatus. Numerical simulations based on the measured rheology show very good agreement with the measurements of film thickness while the Newtonian prediction is up to twice the measurement. These results validate the use of realistic shear-thinning and pressure-viscosity models, which originate from viscosity measurements. It is conceivable that simulation may provide a means to “engineer” lubricants with the optimum balance of film thickness and friction through intelligent mixing of components.

Study on Harmless Technology of Waste Oil-Based Drilling Fluid

2012 ◽  
Vol 524-527 ◽  
pp. 1581-1586
Author(s):  
Ping Quan Wang ◽  
Zhi Wei Qian ◽  
Yang Bai ◽  
Zai Jun Li ◽  
Shuang Meng
Keyword(s):  
Solid Waste ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Waste Oil ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Base Oil ◽  
Leaching Toxicity ◽  
Negative Effect

Oil-based drilling fluids are essential for challenging drilling operations. However oil-based drilling fluid after using for the well site and the surrounding environment also poses a serious negative effect. Therefore, for studying on harmless technology of waste oil-based drilling fluid in this paper. Base on the tradition treatment technology for waste oil-based drilling fluid, by the preferred for treatment chemicals, improved the experimental methods and conditions, achieved some research results. Added 8.5g/L xylene/ispropanol complex demulsifier under the 50°C, pH value of 4 conditions to breaking the waste oil-based drilling fluid, the remove base oil rate is 84%, the moisture content is less than 1%, reached the "Twelfth Five-Year" major projects of national requirements' indicators; added 11ml/100g breaker SW-B, 10g/100g lime and 30g/100g cement to system for curing the waste drilling fluid, the solidified strength of the cured than 0.5MPa; Determined to leaching toxicity of solid waste, the pollution index of leaching toxicity of solid waste meeting National Integrated wastewater discharge standard (GB8978-1996).

Effect of non-aqueous drilling fluid and its synthetic base oil on soil health as indicated by its dehydrogenase activity

2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanchan Wakadikar ◽  
Avik Sil ◽  
Niranjan Kolekar ◽  
Shalini Tandon ◽  
Rakesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Base Oil
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document