Hydrophobic Small-Molecule Polymers as High-Temperature-Resistant Inhibitors in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

Water-based drilling fluids can cause hydration of the wellbore rocks,thereby leading to instability.This study aimed to synthesize a hydrophobic small-molecule polymer(HLMP)as an inhibitor to suppress mud shale hydration.An infrared spectral method and a thermogravimetric technique were used to characterize the chemical composition of the HLMP and evaluate its heat stability.Experiments were conducted to measure the linear swelling,rolling recovery rate,and bentonite inhibition rate and evaluate accordingly the inhibition performance of the HLMP.Moreover,the HLMP was characterized through measurements of the zeta potential,particle size distribution,contact angles,and interlayer space testing.As confirmed by the results,the HLMP could successfully be synthesized with a favorable heat stability.Furthermore,favorable results were found for the inhibitory processes of the HLMP on swelling and dispersed hydration during mud shale hydration.The positively charged HLMP could be electrically neutralized with clay particles,thereby inhibiting diffusion in the double electron clay layers.The hydrophobic group in the HLMP molecular structure resulted in the formation of a hydrophobic membrane on the rock surface,enhancing the hydrophobicity of the rock.In addition,the small molecules of the HLMP could plug the spaces between the layers of bentonite crystals,thereby reducing the entry of water molecules and inhibiting shale hydration.

High temperature and high pressure rheological properties of high-density water-based drilling fluids for deep wells

To maintain tight control over rheological properties of high-density water-based drilling fluids, it is essential to understand the factors influencing the theology of water-based drilling fluids. This paper examines temperature effects on the rheological properties of two types of high-density water-based drilling fluids （fresh water-based and brine-based） under high temperature and high pressure （HTHP） with a Fann 50SL rheometer. On the basis of the water-based drilling fluid systems formulated in laboratory, this paper mainly describes the influences of different types and concentration of clay, the content of a colloid stabilizer named GHJ-1 and fluid density on the rheological parameters such as viscosity and shear stress. In addition, the effects of aging temperature and aging time of the drilling fluid on these parameters were also examined. Clay content and proportions for different densities of brine-based fluids were recommended to effectively regulate the rheological properties. Four theological models, the Bingham, power law, Casson and H-B models, were employed to fit the rheological parameters. It turns out that the H-B model was the best one to describe the rheological properties of the high-density drilling fluid under HTHP conditions and power law model produced the worst fit. In addition, a new mathematical model that describes the apparent viscosity as a function of temperature and pressure was established and has been applied on site.

Rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids at high temperature and high pressure

The rheological properties of two kinds of oil-based drilling fluids with typically composition were studied at pressures up to 138 MPa and temperatures up to 204 ℃ using the RheoChan 7400 Rheometer.The experimental results show that the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point decrease with the increase of temperature,and increase with the increase of pressure.The effect of pressure on the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point is considerable at ambient temperature.However,this effect gradually reduces with the increase of temperature.The major factor influencing the rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids is temperature instead of pressure in the deep sections of oil wells.On the basis of numerous experiments,the model for predict the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity and yield point of oil-based drilling fluids at high temperature and pressure was established using the method of regressive analysis.It is confirmed that the calculated data are in good agreement with the measured data,and the correlation coefficients are more than 0.98.The model is convenient for use and suitable for the application in drilling operations.

Carbon nanotube enhanced water-based drilling fluid for high temperature and high salinity deep resource development

Drilling fluids face failure during drilling deep reservoir with high temperature and high salt.The experimental results show that high temperature and salinity reduce the negative charge on the surface of bentonite in the drilling fluid and cause the coalescence of bentonite particles.As a result,the particles coalesce,the grid structure is destroyed,and the rheological properties,rock-carrying capacity and filtration properties are lost.To resolve the foregoing,in this study,0.05-wt%carbon nanotubes are introduced into a 4%bentonite drilling fluid under conditions where the temperature and concentration of added Na Cl reach 180°C and 10 wt%,respectively.The carbon nanotubes adsorb on the bentonite surface and increase the space among bentonite particles.The steric hindrance prevents the coalescence of bentonite in high temperature and high salt environment.Thus bentonite maintains the small size distribution of bentonite and supports the bentonite grid structure in the drilling fluid.As a result,the rock-carrying capacity of the drilling fluid increases by 85.1%.Moreover,the mud cake formed by the accumulation of small-sized bentonite particles is dense;consequently,the filtration of bentonite drilling fluid reduced by 30.2%.

Research on deepwater synthetic drilling fluid and its low temperature rheological properties

With the rapid development of deepwater drilling operations,more and more complex technical challenges have to be faced due to the rigorous conditions encountered.One of these challenges is that the drilling fluid used must had good rheological properties at low temperatures and high ability to inhibit hydrate formation.Synthetic drilling fluid has been widely applied to deepwater drilling operations due to its high penetration rate,excellent rheological properties,good ability to prevent hydrate formation,and high biodegradability.A synthetic drilling fluid formulation was developed in our laboratory.The rheological properties of this drilling fluid at low temperatures （0-20 °C） were tested with a 6-speed viscometer and its ability to inhibit hydrate formation was evaluated at 20 MPa CH 4 gas and 0 °C by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）.Several factors influencing the low temperature rheological properties of this synthetic drilling fluid were studied in this paper.These included the viscosity of the base fluid,the amount of CEMU and organic clay,and the water volume fraction.

Development of a High Temperature and High Pressure Oil-Based Drilling Fluid Emulsion Stability Tester

When drilling deep wells and ultra-deep wells, the downhole high temperature and high pressure environment will affect the emulsion stability of oil-based drilling fluids. Moreover, neither the demulsification voltage method nor the centrifugal method currently used to evaluate the stability of oil-based drilling fluids can reflect the emulsification stability of drilling fluids under high temperature and high pressure on site. Therefore, a high-temperature and high-pressure oil-based drilling fluid emulsion stability evaluation instrument is studied, which is mainly composed of a high-temperature autoclave body, a test electrode, a temperature control system, a pressure control system, and a test system. The stability test results of the instrument show that the instrument can achieve stable testing and the test data has high reliability. This instrument is used to analyze the factors affecting the emulsion stability of oil-based drilling fluids. The experimental results show that under the same conditions, the higher the stirring speed, the better the emulsion stability of the drilling fluid;the longer the stirring time, the better the emulsion stability of the drilling fluid;the greater the oil-water ratio, the better the emulsion stability of the drilling fluid. And the test results of the emulsification stability of oil-based drilling fluids at high temperature and high pressure show that under the same pressure, as the temperature rises, the emulsion stability of oil-based drilling fluids is significantly reduced;at the same temperature, the With the increase in pressure, the emulsion stability of oil-based drilling fluids is in a downward trend, but the decline is not large. Relatively speaking, the influence of temperature on the emulsion stability of oil-based drilling fluids is greater than that of pressure.

Laboratory Study on 210°C High Temperature and Salt Resistant Drilling Fluid

Combined with the current research status in this area at home and abroad, with the improvement of salt and high temperature resistance as the research goal, the laboratory research of salt and high temperature resistant drilling fluid system has been carried out, and lubricants, inhibitors and stabilizers have been optimized. The final drilling fluid formula is: water + 3% sepiolite + 0.3% Na2CO3 + 3% RH-225 + 3% KCOOH + 3% G-SPH + 3% CQA-10 + 1.5% ZX-1 + Xinjiang barite, density 2.2 g/cm3, using hot-rolling furnace, environmental scanning electron microscope, high temperature and high pressure plugging instrument and Zeiss microscopes and other instruments use core immersion experiments, permeability recovery value experiments, and static stratification index methods to perform temperature resistance, reservoir protection, plugging performance, and static settlement stability performance of the configured drilling fluid., Inhibition performance, biological toxicity, salt resistance, anti-pollution performance have been tested, and it is concluded that the temperature resistance is good under the condition of 210°C, and the salt resistance can meet the requirements of 20% NaCl + 0.5% CaCl2 concentration. It has a good reservoir protection effect, the permeability recovery value can reach more than 90%, the performance of restraining water dispersion and cuttings expansion is good, the heat roll recovery rate can reach more than 85%, and the SSSI value shows that its settlement stability performance is good;Its plugging performance is good under high temperature and high pressure. It laid the foundation for the next step to promote the field application of the drilling fluid system.

Numerical simulation of wellbore and formation temperature fields in carbonate formations during drilling and shut-in in the presence of lost circulation

Temperature curves reflect geothermal gradients and local temperature anomalies, thus providing a new understanding of the underground reservoir conditions. When encountering caverns or fractures and fissures during drilling, lost circulation may occur and result in a change to the original formation temperature field, and in severe cases, even the conventional open hole well logging data cannot be obtained. This paper uses finite element analysis software COMSOL to establish a heat transfer model for the wellbore/reservoir formation system during drilling and shut-in in the presence of lost circulation, and a case study is made in a carbonate reservoir in the Tahe oilfield. On the basis of the above, we analyze the temperature distribution in the leakage zone, and the studies have shown that the leakage and petrophysical properties have an impact on the temperature of the wellbore and formation, hence we can estimate the reservoir permeability using the temperature data. In addition, the determination of the temperature recovery time after some drilling fluids have leaked into the formation will help in recognizing the subsurface temperature field of the carbonate formation correctly, thus enhancing production logging interpretation accuracy and improving the understanding of later measurements.

Hydrophobic silica nanoparticle-stabilized invert emulsion as drilling fluid for deep drilling

An oil-based drilling fluid should be stable and tolerant to high temperatures for use in deep drilling. An invert emulsion of water in oil is a good choice as an oil- based drilling fluid which is a mixture of a solid phase and two immiscible liquid phases stabilized by a polymeric surfactant. In deep drilling, due to high temperatures, the polymeric surfactant degrades and a phase separation occurs. Here, octadecyltrimethoxysilane-modified silica nanoparticles were used to form a stable invert emulsion of water in oil for the drilling fluid model which resulted in a milky fluid with the formation of 60 gm water droplets. In addition, rheological study showed that using hydrophobic silica nanoparticles resulted in a stable water in oil invert emulsion with desired properties for a drilling fluid that can be modified by adjusting the nanoparticle nature and content. Aging experiments at 120 ℃ indicated that they also have good stability at high temperatures for challenging drilling operations.

Study on a Polyamine-Based Anti-Collapse Drilling Fluid System

In complex strata, oil-based drilling fluid is the preferred drilling fluid system, but its preparation cost is high, and there are hidden safety risks. Therefore, the new progress of high-performance anti-collapse water-based drilling fluid at home and abroad is analyzed. It is difficult to prevent and control the well collapse. Once the well wall instability problem occurs, it will often bring huge economic losses to the enterprises, and the underground safety accidents will occur. In order to ensure the stability of the well wall and improve the downhole safety, the key treatment agent of water-based collapse drilling fluid is selected, the anti-collapse drilling fluid system is formulated, the evaluation method of drilling fluid prevention performance is established, and a set of water-based drilling fluid system suitable for easy to collapse strata in China is selected to ensure the downhole safety. The development trend of high performance anti-collapse water-based drilling fluid is expected to provide a reference for the research of high performance anti-collapse water-based drilling fluid system and key treatment agent.

A Study of Solid-Free Drilling Fluid for Tight Gas Reservoirs

This project is explaining a laboratory development of a solid free drilling fluid formula that could be potentially used in tight gas reservoirs. The configuration of the weak gel fluid WGL-1, which is resistant to high temperature and high salt, was tested, and concluded that its gelling properties, salt and temperature resistance, and environmental protection were all in line with industry requirements. The final drilling fluid formula was developed as: water + (0.3% ~ 0.5%) NaOH + 5% KCl + 2% WGL-1 + 5% NaCl + (1.0% ~ 2.0%) HBFR Anti-high temperature fluid loss agent + 2% Polyol + (1.5% ~ 2.0%) SDL-1 Lubricant + 0.4% A4O1. The performance of the liquid was tested for temperature resistance, inhibition, gas formation protection effect, plugging performance, and static settlement stability. It was concluded that the temperature resistance performance is satisfied at 150°C, and the cuttings recovery rate is as high as 96.78%. It has good performance in inhibiting water dispersion and swelling of cuttings. The permeability recovery value reaches 88.9%, which meets the requirements of gas formation protection. The SSSI value shows that its settlement stability is good;under high temperature and high pressure, its sealing performance is good. This drilling fluid system has achieved the expected results and laid a foundation for further promoting the development of solid-free drilling fluid systems. The future development direction of solid-free drilling fluids is pointed out, to the improvement of properties to be applied in high temperature environment and have high salt resistance capacity.

Systematic experimental study of the temperature dependence of viscosity and rheological behavior of water-based drilling fluids with nano-additives

The paper presents the results of a systematic study of the influence of nano-additives of various concentrations,average sizes and composition on the temperature dependence of the viscosity and rheological behavior of water-based drilling fluids.Typical compositions of drilling fluids,such as water suspensions of various clay solutions and gammaxan-based polymer solutions,were considered.Hydrophilic nanoparticles of silicon and aluminum oxides were used as nano-additives at concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 3 wt%.The average nanoparticle size varied from 10 to 151 nm.The temperature of drilling fluids varied from 25℃ to 80℃.It is shown that the addition of nanoparticles to drilling fluids leads to a significant change in their rheological properties depending on the temperature.It was found that with increasing temperature,the yield stress and consistency index of drilling fluids with nanoparticles increase,while the behavior index,on the contrary,decreases.This behavior depends on the size of the nanoparticles.As the particle size increases,their influence on the temperature dependence of the drilling fluids’viscosity increases.In general,it is shown that the addition of nanoparticles makes the viscosity of drilling fluid more stable with regard to the temperature.This is an essential fact for practical application.

Numerical Analysis of Wellbore Instability in Gas Hydrate Formation During Deep-Water Drilling

Gas hydrate formation may be encountered during deep-water drilling because of the large amount and wide distribution of gas hydrates under the shallow seabed of the South China Sea. Hydrates are extremely sensitive to temperature and pressure changes, and drilling through gas hydrate formation may cause dissociation of hydrates, accompanied by changes in wellbore temperatures, pore pressures, and stress states, thereby leading to wellbore plastic yield and wellbore instability. Considering the coupling effect of seepage of drilling fluid into gas hydrate formation, heat conduction between drilling fluid and formation, hydrate dissociation, and transformation of the formation framework, this study established a multi-field coupling mathematical model of the wellbore in the hydrate formation. Furthermore, the influences of drilling fluid temperatures, densities, and soaking time on the instability of hydrate formation were calculated and analyzed. Results show that the greater the temperature difference between the drilling fluid and hydrate formation is, the faster the hydrate dissociates, the wider the plastic dissociation range is, and the greater the failure width becomes. When the temperature difference is greater than 7℃, the maximum rate of plastic deformation around the wellbore is more than 10%, which is along the direction of the minimum horizontal in-situ stress and associated with instability and damage on the surrounding rock. The hydrate dissociation is insensitive to the variation of drilling fluid density, thereby implying that the change of the density of drilling fluids has a minimal effect on the hydrate dissociation. Drilling fluids that are absorbed into the hydrate formation result in fast dissociation at the initial stage. As time elapses, the hydrate dissociation slows down, but the risk of wellbore instability is aggravated due to the prolonged submersion in drilling fluids. For the sake of the stability of the wellbore in deep-water drilling through hydrate formation, the drilling fluid with low temperatures should be given priority. The drilling process should be kept under balanced pressures, and the drilling time should be shortened.

Lost circulation material for abnormally high temperature and pressure fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs in Tazhong block, Tarim Basin, NW China

To effectively solve the problem of lost circulation and well kick frequently occurring during the drilling of abnormally high temperature and pressure fractured-vuggy reservoirs in the Tazhong block, a rigid particle material, GZD, with high temperature tolerance, high rigidity(> 8 MPa) and low abrasiveness has been selected based on geological characteristics of the theft zones in the reservoirs. Through static pressure sealing experiments, its dosage when used alone and when used in combination with lignin fiber, elastic material SQD-98 and calcium carbonate were optimized, and the formula of a new type(SXM-I) of compound lost circulation material with high temperature tolerance and high strength was formed. Its performance was evaluated by compatibility test, static sealing experiment and sand bed plugging experiment. The test results show that it has good compatibility with drilling fluid used commonly and is able to plug fractures and vugs, the sealed fractures are able to withstand the static pressure of more than 9 MPa and the cumulative leakage is 13.4 mL. The mud filtrate invasion depth is only 2.5 cm in 30 min when the sand bed is made of particles with sizes between 10 mesh and 20 mesh. Overall, with good sealing property and high temperature and high pressure tolerance, the lost circulation material provides strong technical support for the safety drilling in the block.

Modeling and simulation of non-isothermal three-phase flow for accurate prediction in underbalanced drilling

The present study aims at investigating the effect of temperature variation due to heat transfer between the formation and drilling fluids considering influx from the reservoir in the underbalanced drilling condition. Gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow model considering transient thermal interaction with the formation was applied to simulate wellbore fluid to calculate the wellbore temperature and pressure and analyze the influence of different parameters on fluid pressure and temperature distribution in annulus. The results show that the non-isothermal three-phase flow model with thermal consideration gives more accurate prediction of bottom-hole pressure(BHP) compared to other models considering geothermal temperature. Viscous dissipation, the heat produced by friction between the rotating drilling-string and well wall and drill bit drilling, and influx of oil and gas from reservoir have significant impact on the distribution of fluid temperature in the wellbore, which in turn affects the BHP. Bottom-hole fluid temperature decreases with increasing liquid flow rate, circulation time, and specific heat of liquid and gas but it increases with increasing in gas flow rate. It was found that BHP is strongly depended on the gas and liquid flow rates but it has weak dependence on the circulation time and specific heat of liquid and gas. BHP increase with increasing liquid flow rate and decreases with increasing gas flow rate.

Tannin-Based Deflocculants in High Temperature High Pressure Wells: A Comprehensive Review

Clay deflocculants that are commonly used in water-based muds under high temperature high pressure (HTHP) oilwell drilling conditions have been found to contain chromium which is toxic. Tannin-based deflocculants are regarded as a more environmentally friendly and suitable alternative to the chrome-based deflocculants. However, tannin-based deflocculants have not been studied extensively and understood completely, and for the past two years, there have not been many active pieces of research in the area. To advance research in the area, there is a need to critically and holistically review research works that have been done so far on tannin-based deflocculants as drilling mud additives to identify research challenges and opportunities. This review paper provides an overview of tannin-based deflocculants used in water-based muds under HTHP drilling conditions, including the various forms, thermal stability, deflocculating ability and environmental acceptance of the deflocculant. The review revealed that under HTHP conditions, modified and unmodified tannin-based deflocculants both deflocculate water muds well and are thermostable. However, only a few studies have been conducted on their usage as deflocculants at temperatures of 150ºC or above. The research gaps identified if pursued could advance the use of tannin-based deflocculants as green substitutes for the conventional chrome-based deflocculants.

Research progress and development of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology

The research progress of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology systematically reviewed,the key problems existing are analyzed,and the future development direction is proposed.In view of the high temperature,high pressure and high stress,fracture development,wellbore instability,drilling fluid lost circulation and other problems faced in the process of deep and ultra-deep complex oil and gas drilling,scholars have developed deep and ultra-deep high-temperature and high-salt resistant water-based drilling fluid technology,high-temperature resistant oil-based/synthetic drilling fluid technology,drilling fluid technology for reservoir protection and drilling fluid lost circulation control technology.However,there are still some key problems such as insufficient resistance to high temperature,high pressure and high stress,wellbore instability and serious lost circulation.Therefore,the development direction of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology in the future is proposed:(1)The technology of high-temperature and high-salt resistant water-based drilling fluid should focus on improving high temperature stability,improving rheological properties,strengthening filtration control and improving compatibility with formation.(2)The technology of oil-based/synthetic drilling fluid resistant to high temperature should further study in the aspects of easily degradable environmental protection additives with low toxicity such as high temperature stabilizer,rheological regulator and related supporting technologies.(3)The drilling fluid technology for reservoir protection should be devoted to the development of new high-performance additives and materials,and further improve the real-time monitoring technology by introducing advanced sensor networks and artificial intelligence algorithms.(4)The lost circulation control of drilling fluid should pay more attention to the integration and application of intelligent technology,the research and application of high-performance plugging materials,the exploration of diversified plugging techniques and methods,and the improvement of environmental protection and production safety awareness.

AMPS/DMAEMA/AM三元共聚物钻井液降滤失剂的研制

以丙烯酰胺、2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸和甲基丙烯酸二甲氨基乙酯为单体,过硫酸铵为引发剂,采用水溶液聚合法制备了PAAD降滤失剂,通过单因素实验对其制备工艺进行了优化,并对降滤失剂的耐温耐盐性能进行了探究。结果表明,在丙烯酰胺、2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸和甲基丙烯酸二甲氨基乙酯质量比为4∶2∶0.02、反应温度为60℃、反应时间4 h、过硫酸铵用量为混合单体质量的0.15%的最佳条件下,所制备的降滤失剂的降滤失效果最佳,抗温达210℃。

环保型改性纳米碳酸钙降滤失剂的合成与性能评价

纳米碳酸钙在钻井液中具有降滤失及封堵作用、且环保,但分散性差、易团聚,导致效果不理想。使用硅烷偶联剂对纳米碳酸钙进行表面改性,再通过自由基共聚法将抗温、抗盐单体接枝到改性纳米碳酸钙表面,得到改性纳米碳酸钙降滤失剂SDNPJ-2,采用红外光谱(FTIR)、热重分析进行表征,同时对比评价其综合性能,通过对膨润土基浆粒径、zeta电位分析,滤饼扫描电镜(SEM)分析,考察SDNPJ-2在黏土颗粒上的吸附特征,研究改性纳米碳酸钙降滤失剂在水基钻井液中的降滤失机制。结果表明:SDNPJ-2可抗230℃高温;1%SDNPJ-2可分别使4%膨润土基浆、25%盐水基浆、10%CaCl_(2)基浆150℃/(16 h)老化后的API滤失量降低70%、89%和85%,可抗氯化钠250000 mg/L、抗氯化钙100000 mg/L,降滤失效果优于国外同类目前最优产品Driscal D;生化需氧量(BOD_(5))为558 mg/L、BOD_(5)/COD(化学需氧量)达22.6%,可生物降解;SDNPJ-2通过酰胺基团吸附于黏土表面、改善其分散性,优化体系粒径级配、通过物理堆积有效封堵滤饼和地层孔隙,两方面协同达到优良的降滤失效果。

一种抗超高温配位键合型低聚物降黏剂

针对高密度水基钻井液高温增稠引发的滤失量大、ECD与内耗高、流动性下降甚至完全丧失难题,在AAAMPS聚有机酸降黏剂分子中引入富含大量邻苯二酚基团的单宁酸,采用自由基聚合法研制了一种抗超高温配位键合型低聚物降黏剂AA-AMPS-TA,并通过正交实验明确了PAAT的最优合成条件。表征并评价了PAAT的降黏性能,结果表明:引入TA后,PAAT的红外光谱出现了源于酚羟基的分子内氢键吸收峰,且因其分子结构中引入了大量苯酚基团,显著提升了热稳定性,分解温度接近500℃;PAAT可降低低浓度膨润土浆和7%膨润土+8%高岭土的高浓度混合黏土浆黏度,在高密度水基钻井液体系中降黏率达26.5%,240℃热滚后降黏率达44.4%。采用Zeta电位与粒径分析验证了PAAT的吸附降黏机理,并在蓬深101井中现场应用,控制了井浆高温下黏度、切力增涨,降黏效果良好。