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Shen H, Sun J, Lv K, Li M, Geng Y, Yang Z, Huang X, Du H, Khan MA. Effect of Low Gravity Solids on Weak Gel Structure and the Performance of Oil-Based Drilling Fluids. Gels 2023; 9:729. [PMID: 37754410 PMCID: PMC10530354 DOI: 10.3390/gels9090729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drilling cuttings from the rock formation generated during the drilling process are generally smashed to fine particles through hydraulic cutting and grinding using a drilling tool, and then are mixed with the drilling fluid during circulation. However, some of these particles are too small and light to be effectively removed from the drilling fluid via solids-control equipment. These small and light solids are referred to as low gravity solids (LGSs). This work aimed to investigate the effect of LGSs on the performance of oil-based drilling fluid (OBDF), such as the rheological properties, high-temperature and high-pressure filtration loss, emulsion stability, and filter cake quality. The results show that when the content of LGSs reached or even exceeded the solid capacity limit of the OBDF, the rheological parameters including the plastic viscosity, gel strength, and thixotropy of OBDF increased significantly. Furthermore, the filtration of OBDF increases, the filter cake becomes thicker, the friction resistance becomes larger, and the stability of emulsion of OBDF also decreases significantly when the concentration of LGSs reached the solid capacity limit of OBDF (6-9 wt% commonly). It was also found that LGSs with a smaller particle size had a more pronounced negative impact on the drilling fluid performance. This work provides guidance for understanding the impact mechanism of LGSs on drilling fluid performance and regulating the performance of OBDF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haokun Shen
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Jinsheng Sun
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
- CNPC Engineering Technology R&D Company Ltd., Beijing 102206, China; (Y.G.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Kaihe Lv
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Meichun Li
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
- Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Yuan Geng
- CNPC Engineering Technology R&D Company Ltd., Beijing 102206, China; (Y.G.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Zheng Yang
- CNPC Engineering Technology R&D Company Ltd., Beijing 102206, China; (Y.G.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Xianbin Huang
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hongyan Du
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Muhammad Arqam Khan
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China; (H.S.); (M.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Development Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266580, China
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi 395007, Pakistan
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