An Inverse Emulsion Polymer as a Highly Effective Salt- and Calcium-Resistant Fluid Loss Reducer in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

Development of a Low-Molecular-Weight Filtrate Reducer with High-Temperature Resistance for Drilling Fluid Gel System

Currently, conventional polymeric filtrate reducers with high-temperature resistance for use in drilling fluids have high molecular weights, which greatly affects the rheological properties. Therefore, to address the challenges in regulating the rheology and filtration performance of high-density drilling fluids at high temperatures, it is essential to develop low-molecular-weight filtrate reducers with high-temperature resistance. In this study, a low-molecular-weight filtrate reducer with high-temperature resistance (LMF) was prepared via free radical polymerization from acrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid as monomers, tertiary dodecyl mercaptan as a chain transfer agent, and ammonium persulfate as the initiator. LMF was then characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and gel permeation chromatography. The obtained filtrate reducer exhibits a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 3819 and an initial thermal decomposition temperature of 300.7 °C, indicating good thermal stability. The effects of LMF dosage, temperature, and NaCl dosage on the rheology and filtration performance of mud samples were also investigated, and the mechanism of action was revealed by zeta potential, particle size distribution, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption measurements. The results reveal that LMF increases the mud sample viscosity and reduces its filtration. For example, the filtration of the mud sample with 2 wt% LMF was 7.2 mL, a reduction of 70% compared to that of a blank mud sample. Further, after aging at 210 °C for 16 h, the filtration of the same sample was 11.6 mL, and that of a mud sample with 2 wt% LMF and 35 wt% NaCl after aging at 180 °C for 16 h was 22 mL. Overall, we have reported a scheme to prepare a low-molecular-weight filtrate reducer with high-temperature resistance and superior filtrate-reducing effects, laying the foundation for the investigation and development of low-molecular-weight filtrate reducers.

Hydrodynamic Analysis and Cake Erosion Properties of a Modified Water-Based Drilling Fluid by a Polyacrylamide/Silica Nanocomposite during Rotating-Disk Dynamic Filtration

In this study, the potential of using a polyacrylamide-silica nanocomposite (PAM-S) to control the filtration properties of bentonite water-based drilling muds under different salinity conditions was evaluated. Static filtration tests under low-pressure/low-temperature (LPLT) conditions accompanied by rheological measurements have been carried out to analyze the role of silica nanoparticles (NPs) and nanocomposites (NCs) in the base fluid properties. Moreover, high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) static filtration was also investigated to evaluate the thermal stability of PAM-S. Afterward, dynamic filtration has been conducted in a filtration cell equipped with an agitating system with a disk-type impeller to investigate the hydrodynamic and formation of a filter cake under shear flow conditions. Fluid flow velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) distribution over the filter cake were analyzed using an exact 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation. A transparent filtration cell with a camera was used to accurately record the fluid flow field inside the filter press and validate the CFD results. The obtained results indicated that adding silica NPs at a concentration of less than 2 wt % increases the fluid loss due to reducing rheological properties such as yield point. While silica NPs could not significantly change the mud properties, the experimental results showed that, under both LPLT and HPHT conditions, the PAM-S NC could reduce the total filtration loss by 70% at a low concentration of 0.75 wt %. Moreover, during dynamic filtration, the results indicated that there is a linear relationship between the cake thickness and the inverse of WSS at different operating pressures. However, no correlation could be found between predeposited mud cake erosion and WSS. At a rotating disk speed of 1000 rpm, more than 60% of the predeposited mud cake was eroded after 30 min for a saline mud sample while for the NC-treated mud sample cake erosion is considerably reduced and reaches up to 20% at 1.5 wt % PAM-S.

Nano-Modified Polymer Gels as Temperature- and Salt-Resistant Fluid-Loss Additive for Water-Based Drilling Fluids

With the continuous exploration and development of oil and gas resources to deep formations, the key treatment agents of water-based drilling fluids face severe challenges from high temperatures and salinity, and the development of high temperature and salt resistance filtration reducers has always been the focus of research in the field of oilfield chemistry. In this study, a nano-silica-modified co-polymer (NS-ANAD) gel was synthesized by using acrylamide, isopropylacrylamide, 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and double-bond-modified inorganic silica particles (KH570-SiO₂) through free radical co-polymerization. The introduction of nanotechnology enhances the polymer’s resistance to high temperature degradation, making it useful as a high-temperature-resistant fluid loss reducer. Moreover, the anions (sulfonates) and cations (quaternary ammonium) enhance the extension of the polymer and the adsorption on the surface of bentonite particles in a saline environment, which in turn improves the salt resistance of the polymer. The drilling fluids containing 2.0 wt% NS-ANAD co-polymer gels still show excellent rheological and filtration performance, even after aging in high temperature (200 °C) and high salinity (saturated salt) environments, showing great potential for application in deep and ultra-deep drilling engineering.