Analysis of the Effect of Surface and Down Hole Water Contamination on Drilling Fluid Characteristics
Authors: Achadu, M.A., Osadolor, I.D. And Andrew, J.
DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8095518
ABSTRACT
The devastating incidental occurrences experienced in the Oil and Gas industry in the past showed the importance of maintaining integrity of wells and oil facilities. Drilling fluids aids the transportation of cuttings to the surface, cool the bit and control formation pressure thereby preventing blow outs. Millions of barrels of water-based mud are used each year to explore and exploit oil and gas resources both in the onshore and offshore drilling environments. This article evaluated the effect of water contamination on drilling fluids characteristics. Pre-formulated drilling fluid was separately contaminated with 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of water similar in characteristics to formation water. The hydro-contaminated drilling fluid was then tested for the key parameters [mud weight, emulsion stability, fluid loss and oil - water ratio as well as rheological properties (600, 300, 200, 100, 60, 30, 6 and 3- rpm -revolutions per minutes) and gel strength (10-sec/10-min)]. America Petroleum Institute (API) standards were employed for all the analysis. Complete deviations from the mud program were observed for all the parameters tested except for the mud weights. The 5% water contamination was insignificantly affected while 10% to 20% contamination was entirely intolerable. It is envisaged that sufficient knowledge and attention to muds contamination and its optimization in both offshore and onshore drilling operations will reduce tight hole problems, torque, and drag, and stuck pipe.
Affiliations: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Keywords: Formation, Drilling Fluid, Mud Program, Contamination, Stability, Fluid Loss Rheology, Gel Strength, Viscosity, Yield Point
Published date: 2023/06/30
