A Field Application of Nanoparticles For Improved Downhole Losses in Invert Emulsion Drilling Fluids

Simple item page
atmire.migration.oldid3250
dc.contributor.advisorHusein, Maen
dc.contributor.advisorHareland, Geir
dc.contributor.authorBorisov, Alexey
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-25T16:24:29Z
dc.date.embargolift2017-05-24T16:24:29Z
dc.date.issued2015-05-25
dc.date.submitted2015en
dc.description.abstractInvasion of drilling fluids filtrate and solids into porous, permeable, fractured or vuggy zones can cause formation damage and presents a major source of drilling problems. Furthermore, downhole mud losses also increase environmental and financial risks associated with drilling operations, costing over $1B annually. This thesis investigates the use of in situ prepared calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CNP) for fluid loss prevention in invert emulsion drilling fluids. CNP at 5 wt% concentration were synthesized within a custom ‘carrier’ emulsion using a modified microemulsion approach. Subsequently, the carrier emulsion was used to deliver target concentration of NPs to a host drilling fluid of interest via volumetric dilution. High pressure, high temperature (HPHT) fluid loss experiments on commercial invert emulsion drilling fluids showed that CNP at concentration of 0.5 wt% provided a 20–50% improvement over conventional lost circulation materials (LCM). In addition, basic properties of mud samples were not affected significantly in the presence of the carrier emulsion. In order to evaluate performance of CNP under real-life conditions, six full-scale field tests were conducted in horizontal wells in Alberta, Canada. Industry-scale synthesis of CNP followed the lab-bench process and was implemented at a specialized mixing facility. The results suggested that the scale-up from 3×10-4 m3 (300 mL) to 20 m3 did not affect average particle size or final properties of the carrier emulsion. Furthermore, field HPHT data showed good agreement with the lab experiments, where the average fluid loss in the test wells was reduced by 20–30% compared to the control wells using conventional drilling fluids. Finally, analysis of mud losses revealed that the cumulative losses while drilling were on average 20–30% lower in the presence of 0.5 wt% CNP, which suggested that NPs help to reduce downhole losses.en_US
dc.description.embargoterms2 yearsen_US
dc.identifier.citationBorisov, A. (2015). A Field Application of Nanoparticles For Improved Downhole Losses in Invert Emulsion Drilling Fluids (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24735en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24735
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/2268
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEngineering--Chemical
dc.subjectEngineering--Petroleum
dc.subject.classificationNanotechnologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationDrilling Fluidsen_US
dc.titleA Field Application of Nanoparticles For Improved Downhole Losses in Invert Emulsion Drilling Fluids
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.65 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Theses and Dissertations