Drilling/completion fluids
Two critical facets of the discipline of well control and wellbore integrity—decarbonization and groundbreaking automation of essential processes—are highlighted in the three primary paper selections presented at SPE and SPE-affiliated conferences during the past year.
One major challenge for drilling-fluid engineers is the design and management of optimal drilling-fluid formulations in emerging frontiers—fractured formations and high-pressure geothermal environments. Recently, operators have leveraged cutting-edge technology such as machine learning and expanded data-driven techniques to facilitate the development of new drilling-f…
This research aims to develop a fluid-advisory system that provides recommendations for optimal amounts of chemical additives needed to maintain desired fluid properties in various drilling-fluid systems.
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This paper discusses the successful design, laboratory testing, and performance of an innovative, low-solids, organophilic-clay-free invert-emulsion fluid (OCF-IEF) used to drill the reservoir section of an extended-reach-drilling (ERD) well. -
A reservoir-conditions coreflood study was undertaken to assist with design of drilling and completion fluids for a Norwegian field. Multiple fluids were tested, and the lowest permeability alterations did not correlate with the lowest drilling-fluid-filtrate-loss volumes.
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Nonaqueous drilling fluids have been used extensively by the industry, particularly in complex drilling scenarios. They carry some concerns, however, with implications for well integrity.
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In this study, pressure-while-drilling technologies are combined with software simulations to differentiate drilling-fluid thermal expansion, wellbore ballooning, and formation influx during riserless drilling operations.
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A fluid technology has been developed to deposit a thin, impermeable barrier over the pores and microfractures of weak, underpressured, and otherwise troublesome formations to maintain wellbore stability and reduce formation damage.
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A supramolecular viscosifier package has been developed that uses noncovalent associations between additives to enhance the thermal resilience of divalent brine fluids.
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Drilling in high-pressure/high-temperature conditions poses numerous challenges. Drilling fluid is subjected to extreme pressure and temperature, and its properties such as viscosity are affected strongly by pressure and temperature. Viscosity decreases with temperature and increases with pressure.
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The effects of adding iron oxide NPs on the rheological and filtration properties of aqueous bentonite suspensions have been studied by several researchers.
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Researchers have developed a novel water-based-drilling-fluid system compatible with deepwater HP/HT wells in the Lingshui Block on the basis of a conventional drilling fluid and further optimization.
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Recent studies have found that the viscosities of borate gels at actual downhole pressure conditions may be 80% less than those from standard high-pressure/high-temperature rheometer measurement (which uses 400-psi top pressure).
