scholarly journals Mitigation of Lost Circulation in Oil-Based Drilling Fluids Using Oil Absorbent Polymers

Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanyi Zhong ◽  
Guangcheng Shen ◽  
Peng Yang ◽  
Zhengsong Qiu ◽  
Junbin Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspension Polymerization ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Fracture Sealing ◽  
Oil Absorbent ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials ◽  
Filtration Properties ◽  
Absorbent Polymer

In order to mitigate the loss circulation of oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs), an oil-absorbent polymer (OAP) composed by methylmethacrylate (MMA), butyl acrylate (BA), and hexadecyl methacrylate (HMA) was synthesized by suspension polymerization and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The oil-absorptive capacity of OAP under different solvents was measured as the function of temperature and time. The effect of the OAP on the rheological and filtration properties of OBDFs was initially evaluated, and then the sealing property of OAP particles as lost circulation materials (LCMs) was examined by a high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) filtration test, a sand bed filtration test, a permeable plugging test, and a fracture sealing testing. The test results indicated that the addition of OAP had relatively little influence on the rheological properties of OBDF at content lower than 1.5 w/v % but increased the fluid viscosity remarkably at content higher than 3 w/v %. It could reduce the HTHP filtration and improve the sealing capacity of OBDF significantly. In the sealing treatment, after addition into the OBDF, the OAP particles could absorb oil accompanied with volume enlargement, which led to the increase of the fluid viscosity and slowing down of the fluid loss speed. The swelled and deformable OAP particles could be squeezed into the micro-fractures with self-adoption and seal the loss channel. More important, fluid loss was dramatically reduced when OAP particles were combined with other conventional LCMs by a synergistic effect.

Assessment of Lost Circulation Material Particle-Size Distribution on Fracture Sealing: A Numerical Study

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Lu Lee ◽  
Arash Dahi Taleghani
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Material Particle ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Fracture Sealing ◽  
Discrete Element Methods ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials

Summary Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are essential to combat fluid loss while drilling and may put the whole operation at risk if a proper LCM design is not used. The focus of this research is understanding the function of LCMs in sealing fractures to reduce fluid loss. One important consideration in the success of fracture sealing is the particle-size distribution (PSD) of LCMs. Various studies have suggested different guidelines for obtaining the best size distribution of LCMs for effective fracture sealing based on limited laboratory experiments or field observations. Hence, there is a need for sophisticated numerical methods to improve the LCM design by providing some predictive capabilities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element methods (DEM) numerical simulations are coupled to investigate the influence of PSD of granular LCMs on fracture sealing. Dimensionless variables were introduced to compare cases with different PSDs. We validated the CFD-DEM model in reproducing specific laboratory observations of fracture-sealing experiments within the model boundary parameters. Our simulations suggested that a bimodally distributed blend would be the most effective design in comparison to other PSDs tested here.

An Experimental Investigation of Filtercake Reinforced Wellbore Strengthening and Fracture Sealing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingzheng Yang ◽  
Yuanhang Chen ◽  
Frederick B. Growcock ◽  
Feifei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Fracture Initiation ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Fracture Sealing ◽  
Sealing Pressure ◽  
Wellbore Strengthening ◽  
Mud Loss ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials

Abstract Drilling-induced lost circulation should be managed before and during fracture initiation rather than after they propagate to form large fractures and losses become uncontrollable. Recent studies indicated the potentially critical role of filtercake in strengthening the wellbore through formation of a pressure-isolating barrier, as well as plugging microfractures during fracture initiation. In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to understand the role played by filtercake in the presence of lost circulation materials (LCMs). A modified permeability plugging apparatus (PPA) with slotted discs was used to simulate whole mud loss through fractures of known width behind filtercake. Cumulative fluid loss upon achieving a complete seal and the maximum sealing pressure were measured to evaluate the combined effects of filtercake and LCMs in preventing and reducing fluid losses. The effects of some filtercake properties (along with LCM type, concentration and particle size distribution) on filtercake rupture and fracture sealing were investigated. The results indicate that filtercake can accelerate fracture sealing and reduce total mud loss. Efficiently depositing filtercake while drilling can reduce the concentration of LCM that is required to plug and isolate incipient fractures.

scholarly journals Simulating Fracture Sealing by Granular LCM Particles in Geothermal Drilling

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4878
Author(s):  
Lu Lee ◽  
Arash Dahi Taleghani
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Fracture Sealing ◽  
Typical Treatment ◽  
Well Abandonment ◽  
Fracture Apertures ◽  
Geothermal Drilling ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials

Lost circulation occurs when the returned fluid is less than what is pumped into the well due to loss of fluid to pores or fractures. A lost-circulation event is a common occurrence in a geothermal well. Typical geothermal reservoirs are often under-pressured and have larger fracture apertures. A severe lost-circulation event is costly and may lead to stuck pipe, well instability, and well abandonment. One typical treatment is adding lost-circulation materials (LCMs) to seal fractures. Conventional LCMs fail to properly seal fractures because their mechanical limit is exceeded at elevated temperatures. In this paper, parametric studies in numerical simulations are conducted to better understand different thermal effects on the sealing mechanisms of LCMs. The computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) and the discrete element method (DEM) are coupled to accurately capture the true physics of sealing by granular materials. Due to computational limits, the traditional Eulerian–Eulerian approach treats solid particles as a group of continuum matter. With the advance of modern computational power, particle bridging is achievable with DEM to track individual particles by modeling their interactive forces between each other. Particle–fluid interactions can be modeled by coupling CFD algorithms. Fracture sealing capability is investigated by studying the effect of four individual properties including fluid viscosity, particle size, friction coefficient, and Young’s modulus. It is found that thermally degraded properties lead to inefficient fracture sealing.

Wood Fibre Based Lost Circulation Materials

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Saasen ◽  
Helge Hodne ◽  
Egil Ronæs ◽  
Simen André Aarskog ◽  
Bente Hetland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fibre Type ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Wood Fibre ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Bottom Hole Assembly ◽  
Induced Fractures ◽  
Fine Wood ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials

In this paper both a coarse and fine wood fibre type of Lost Circulation Material (LCM) is tested in the laboratory. It is shown how these fibre treatments work. The fibre type is partially oil wetting making them suitable for application in oil based drilling fluids. The fine material helps stopping small drilling induced fractures, while the coarse helps stopping lost circulation into several natural fractures or coal or conglomerate formations. In the article, the selection of wood fibres is described in more detail. Testing of the fine materials were conducted conventionally by pumping drilling fluid volumes with LCM onto slotted disks in fluid loss apparatuses. The coarse fibres are too large to be tested in these apparatuses. Therefore, gravel with grain diameter around two centimetres was filled into transparent cylinders. The pore throats created by these gravel particles were above half a centimetre. For both of these LCMs the experiments show the sensitivity of the LCM concentration in the drilling fluid to stop the lost circulation. Also, it is shown the effect of the LCM on viscous properties of the drilling fluids. Not all LCMs can be pumped through the bit. The article describes the need for circulation subs in the bottom hole assembly (BHA) to hinder the LCM blocking the entire BHA.

Formation-Damage and Well-Productivity Simulation

SPE Journal ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 751-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Lohne ◽  
Liqun Han ◽  
Claas van Zwaag ◽  
Hans van Velzen ◽  
Anne-Mette Mathisen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Filter Cake ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Mechanistic Modeling ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Field Scale ◽  
Particle Injection

Summary In this paper, we describe a simulation model for computing the damage imposed on the formation during overbalanced drilling. The main parts modeled are filter-cake buildup under both static and dynamic conditions; fluid loss to the formation; transport of solids and polymers inside the formation, including effects of porelining retention and pore-throat plugging; and salinity effects on fines stability and clay swelling. The developed model can handle multicomponent water-based-mud systems at both the core scale (linear model) and the field scale (2D radial model). Among the computed results are fluid loss vs. time, internal damage distribution, and productivity calculations for both the entire well and individual sections. The simulation model works, in part, independently of fluid-loss experiments (e.g., the model does not use fluid-leakoff coefficients but instead computes the filter-cake buildup and its flow resistance from properties ascribed to the individual components in the mud). Some of these properties can be measured directly, such as particle-size distribution of solids, effect of polymers on fluid viscosity, and formation permeability and porosity. Other properties, which must be determined by tuning the results of the numerical model against fluid-loss experiments, are still assumed to be rather case independent, and, once determined, they can be used in simulations at altered conditions as well as with different mud formulations. A detailed description of the filter-cake model is given in this paper. We present simulations of several static and dynamic fluid-loss experiments. The particle-transport model is used to simulate a dilute particle-injection experiment taken from the literature. Finally, we demonstrate the model's applicability at the field scale and present computational results from an actual well drilled in the North Sea. These results are analyzed, and it is concluded that the potential effects of the mechanistic modeling approach used are (a) increased understanding of damage mechanisms, (b) improved design of experiments used in the selection process, and (c) better predictions at the well scale. This allows for a more-efficient and more-realistic prescreening of drilling fluids than traditional core-plug testing.

Influence of Clay Swelling Inhibitor in Filtration Properties of Water-Based Drilling Fluids

2016 ◽  
Vol 869 ◽  
pp. 1018-1022
Author(s):  
Raquel Santos Leite ◽  
Ana Paula Tertuliano Dantas ◽  
Luciana Viana Amorim
Keyword(s):  
Xanthan Gum ◽  
Potassium Citrate ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Clay Swelling ◽  
Cake Thickness ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Filtration Properties

This work aims to evaluate the influence of the clay swelling inhibitor in the filtration properties of water-based drilling fluids. Drilling fluids were prepared with and without adding potassium citrate clay inhibitor. The following additives were used in the composition of the fluid: viscosity agent (xanthan gum), filtrate reducer (starch and low viscosity carboxymethylcellulose (CMC LV)), antifoam, bactericide, sealant (calcite), lubricant and pH controller. The concentration of inhibitor was used of 15, 20, 25 and 30 g/ 350 mL of water. We determined the filtration properties (filtrate volume (FV), spurt loss (SL), cake thickness (CT) and permeability (K)) of drilling fluids. According to the results, it was concluded that: (i) adding the inhibitor to the fluid promoted reduction of FV and K of fluids containing starch in the composition and (ii) the inhibitor promoted satisfactory reductions in the CT and increased of SL for all the studied fluids. Finally, the inhibited fluids prepared with higher concentrations of starch, CMC LV, calcite and potassium citrate than 25 g/ 350 mL of water showed the best performance compared to FV and SL.

A Study on the Effects of Date Pit-Based Additive on the Performance of Water-Based Drilling Fluid

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimoh K. Adewole ◽  
Musa O. Najimu
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Particle Size ◽  
Filter Cake ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Date Seed ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Filtration Properties ◽  
Loss Control

This study investigates the effect of using date seed-based additive on the performance of water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). Specifically, the effects of date pit (DP) fat content, particle size, and DP loading on the drilling fluids density, rheological properties, filtration properties, and thermal stability were investigated. The results showed that dispersion of particles less than 75 μm DP into the WBDFs enhanced the rheological as well as fluid loss control properties. Optimum fluid loss and filter cake thickness can be achieved by addition of 15–20 wt % DP loading to drilling fluid formulation.

Study on Lost Circulation in an Extended Horizontal Well in Cuba

2013 ◽  
Vol 765-767 ◽  
pp. 266-269
Author(s):  
Cheng Luo ◽  
Xiao Chun Cao ◽  
Yi Qin ◽  
Bei Ren Li
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Cement Slurry ◽  
Processing Methods ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Eastern Cuba ◽  
Controlling Measures ◽  
Lost Circulation Materials

An extended horizontal well was to be drilled in the eastern Cuba. Because lost circulation of drilling fluids and cement slurry could take place in the target sections, the controlling measures were studied. There were several processing measures. And Lost circulation materials (LCM) could be used when the loss of circulation happened. The test and processing methods were also introduced.

scholarly journals A Zwitterionic Copolymer as Rheology Modifier and Fluid Loss Agents for Water-Based Drilling Fluids

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 3120
Author(s):  
Xianfeng Tan ◽  
Longchen Duan ◽  
Weichao Han ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Mingyi Guo
Keyword(s):  
Zeta Potential ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Free Radical Copolymerization ◽  
Filtration Loss ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Filtration Properties

To overcome the negative impact on the rheological and filtration loss properties of drilling fluids caused by elevated temperature and salts contamination, which are common in ultradeep or geothermal drilling operations, it is imperative to develop highly efficient additives used in the water-based drilling fluid. In this study, a zwitterionic copolymer P (AM/DMC/AMPS/DMAM, ADAD) was synthesized by using acrylamide (AM), cationic monomer methacrylatoethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC), anionic monomer 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) through free radical copolymerization. The copolymer was characterized by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and zeta potential. The rheological behavior, filtration properties, and the performance exposure to salt or calcium contamination in water-based drilling fluid were investigated. The bentonite/polymer suspension showed improved rheological and filtration properties even after aging at 160 °C or a high concentration of salt and calcium. The filtration loss can be greatly reduced by more than 50% (from 18 mL to 7 mL) by the inclusion of 2.0 wt% copolymer, while a slight increase in the filtrate loss was observed even when exposed to electrolyte contamination. Particle size distribution and zeta potential further validate the idea that zwitterionic copolymer can greatly improve the stability of base fluid suspension through positive group enhanced anchoring on the clay surface and repulsion force between negative particles. Moreover, this study can be directed towards the design and application of zwitterionic copolymer in a water-based drilling fluid.

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