Investigation the Viability of Nanoparticles in Drilling Fluids as Additive for Fluid Loss and Wellbore Stability
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In a world of cutting-edge technologies dominating the growth aspect of virtually every industry that evolving utilization of nanoparticles especially with research surrounding hydrocarbon recovery and wellbore stability, comes as no surprise. Proficiencies in enhancing oil and gas extraction from unattainable pore spaces of formations have incentivized the use of these infinitesimally small molecules particularly in low permeable, unconventional shale configurations. In drilling, the type of mud that is used is of crucial significance to wellbore stabilization. From a purely performance-based perspective, oil-based mud offers lower conductivity features than saline water and promises low amounts of reactivity with the shale in the formation. Even though this mud provides an additional contribution to maintaining stability, ample levels of regulation placed on this practice stem from the substantial environmental footprint implicated. As a result, widespread use of this mud type has become discouraged and even prohibited in several countries including Qatar. Largely synthetic, but mainly water-based mud has therefore emerged as a viable alternative despite possessing inferior rates of penetration. It is essential to note that the presence of salt in those water-based fluids intensifies the conductivity of flow and poses an environmental waste disposal issue; one that must be eradicated by lowering the chloride content in selected muds, avoiding fractures in the formation which threaten the wellâ s integrity during its life cycle (Petrowiki 2017). Current operational solutions to the invasion of water from the formation have focused almost exclusively on costly oil-based mud. Though they yielded a slight increase in stability, the unique swelling and fracturing features of shale formations meant that even high salt and oil fluid based muds could not prevent decline in stability. Under conventional circumstances, the mud or filter cake around wellbore forms while drilling in permeable formations is sufficient to harness the water and prevent additional fluid loss to cause instability. However, in shale influenced zones, having a thick filter cake if any is seldom the case. Javeri et al. (2011) showed that nanoparticles can help decrease mud cake thickness and therefore help in avoiding differential sticking and loss circulation. By integrating the nanoparticles in the drilling mud, due to the particles nanosize, the mud resulted able to create a thinner and less permeable mud cake. Nanosized particles, due to their size and constant distribution, are able to penetrate in nanosized pores and therefor create a low permeability and low porosity mud cake. A low permeability mud cake allows for a lower fluid loss to the formation. Silicon nanoparticles also proved able to create a mud cake thinner than those created by traditional drilling muds, therefore allowing a reduction in differential sticking problems. Lastly the use silicon nanoparticle has proven to not have any impact on the environment. This research is aimed to evaluate several type of nanoparticles for the application as additive materials for fluid loss and maintain wellbore stability.
