Wellbore strengthening (WS) is the mechanism of increasing fracture pressure of rock at depth. WS in shale formations is controversial because of the poor understanding of the mechanism and limited field success. This paper presents experimental research in which a significant fracture-pressure increase was achieved in shale and the predominant WS mechanism was identified. The main implication of this work is that WS can occur in shale formations by use of oil-based mud (OBM) with the addition of nanoparticles (NPs) and graphite.
Introduction
This research presents an original approach based on the use of in-house-prepared NPs and graphite as WS agents in OBM. Catoosa shale cores that are very sensitive to water and air were used.
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