Optimum formulation design and properties of drilling fluids incorporated with green uncoated and polymer-coated magnetite nanoparticles

Nanomaterials are materials that possess unique properties due to their high specific surface area and quantum effects. Nanomaterials have diverse applications in different fields including the petroleum and gas industry as additives. One of the classes of nanomaterials that currently have potential usage in the downstream, midstream, and upstream processes of the petroleum industry is nanoparticles (NPs). Among the upstream processes in the petroleum and gas industry is the drilling operations. It is popular that the most critical features that ensure the success of a drilling operation are the rheological and filtration loss characteristics of the drilling fluid. The current work deals with the synthesis of green uncoated and polymer-coated green magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). The MNPs were characterized and assessed as rheology and filtration loss modifiers for water-based drilling fluids. The optimum formulation design of drilling fluids incorporated the MNPs for high-performance drilling fluids in terms of density, rheological, filtration loss, and sagging properties was identified. The effect of temperature (ambient − 80 °C), and aging time (6–248 h) on the investigated properties were evaluated. The results confirmed that optimum values for plastic viscosity, apparent viscosity, yield Point, gel strength (10sec), gel strength (10 min), mud thickness, and sag index were 13.77 cP, 69.69 cP, 89.87 lb/100ft2, 86.75 lb/100ft2, 128.38 lb/100ft2, ≤ 1 mm, and 0.511, respectively. Most of those values could be reached using an optimum formulation involving 0.92 % MNPs at ambient temperature. Increasing the temperature displays a decrease in the values while increasing the aging time displays an increase in the values. Drilling fluids with MNPs showed insignificant changes in the investigated properties with increasing temperature in particular those incorporated with polymer-coated MNPs compared to the water-based drilling fluids

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) to Scan the Structure and Characterize the Mud Cake Incorporated with Various Magnetic NPs Concentration: An Application to Evaluate the Wellbore Stability and Formation Damage

The X-ray computed tomography method has provided unrivalled data about the characterization and evolution of the internal/external structure of materials by analyzing CTN and non-destructive imaging approach. Applying this method on the appropriate drilling-fluid ingredients plays a significant role in generating proper mud cake quality to stabilize wellbore, and avoid formation damage and filtration loss by preventing drilling fluid invasion into the formation. In this study, smart-water drilling mud containing different concentrations of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) was used to assess the filtration loss properties and formation impairment. Conventional static filter press, non-destructive X-ray computed tomography (CT) scan images and high-resolution quantitative measurement of CT number method were used to estimate the filtrate volume and characterize the filter cake layers, hence evaluating the reservoir damage through hundreds of merged images. The CT scan data were combined with the HIPAX and Radiant viewer digital image processing. The variation in CT number of mud cake samples under different concentrations of MNPs and without MNPs concentration were analyzed, and hundreds of 3D images as a cross-sectional profile were used. This paper highlights the importance of MNPs property in terms of minimizing filtration volume and improving mud cake quality and thickness, and hence improving the wellbore stability. From the results, a notable reduction of filtrate drilling mud volume and mud cake thickness to 40.9% and 46.6%, respectively, were recorded for drilling fluids incorporated with 0.92 wt.% of MNPs. However, this study asserts that optimal MNPs should be implemented to guarantee the best filtration property. As confirmed from the results, increasing the MNPs concentration beyond the optimal value (up to 2 wt.%) increased the filtrate volume and mud cake thickness by 3.23 and 33.3%, respectively. CT scan profile images show two layers of mud cake produced from water-based drilling fluids possessing 0.92 wt.% MNPs. The latter concentration was found to be the optimal additive of MNPs as it caused a decrease in filtration volume, mud cake thickness, and pore spaces within the structure of the mud cake. Using the optimum MNPs, the CT number (CTN) shows a high CTN and density material, and uniform compacted thin mud cake structure (0.75 mm). The produced thin mud cake layer reveals the precipitation or exchange of elemental/mineral composition during fluid-solid interaction. These results confirm that MNPs could help in avoiding or reducing the formation damage, driving away drilling fluid from the formation, and improving borehole stability

Optimum formulation design and properties of drilling fluids incorporated with green uncoated and polymer-coated magnetite nanoparticles

Nanomaterials are materials that possess unique properties due to their high specific surface area and quantum effects. Nanomaterials have diverse applications in different fields including the petroleum and gas industry as additives. One of the classes of nanomaterials that currently have potential usage in the downstream, midstream, and upstream processes of the petroleum industry is nanoparticles (NPs). Among the upstream processes in the petroleum and gas industry is the drilling operations. It is popular that the most critical features that ensure the success of a drilling operation are the rheological and filtration loss characteristics of the drilling fluid. The current work deals with the synthesis of green uncoated and polymer-coated green magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). The MNPs were characterized and assessed as rheology and filtration loss modifiers for water-based drilling fluids. The optimum formulation design of drilling fluids incorporated the MNPs for high-performance drilling fluids in terms of density, rheological, filtration loss, and sagging properties was identified. The effect of temperature (ambient − 80 °C), and aging time (6–248 h) on the investigated properties were evaluated. The results confirmed that optimum values for plastic viscosity, apparent viscosity, yield Point, gel strength (10sec), gel strength (10 min), mud thickness, and sag index were 13.77 cP, 69.69 cP, 89.87 lb/100ft2, 86.75 lb/100ft2, 128.38 lb/100ft2, ≤ 1 mm, and 0.511, respectively. Most of those values could be reached using an optimum formulation involving 0.92 % MNPs at ambient temperature. Increasing the temperature displays a decrease in the values while increasing the aging time displays an increase in the values. Drilling fluids with MNPs showed insignificant changes in the investigated properties with increasing temperature in particular those incorporated with polymer-coated MNPs compared to the water-based drilling fluids.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe