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Experimental Study of Formation Damage Reduction during Drilling of Horizontal Wells Using Nanoparticles

Shojaei, Nima | 2017

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 49277 (06)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Ghazanfari, Mohammad Hossein
  7. Abstract:
  8. One the basic challenges during drilling of both vertical and horizontal wellbores is due to mud filtrate invasion into the formation. Addition of nanoparticles to composition of drilling fluid has been recognized as a measure of control and reduction of filtrate invasion. Despite notable advances in formulation of nano-enhanced drilling fluids, effects of surface wettability of nanoparticles on their performance have not been studied with any precision. Moreover, return permeability of a grain packed porous media after extreme invasion by mud filtrate has not been experimentally measured in a radial system, yet. The last but not least, Generation and development of mud cake opposite the wellbore wall in a radial flow system has not been modeled under constant rate injection condition. The present thesis is composed of both experimental and modeling parts. In experimental section, properties of various samples of both basic muds and enhanced drilling fluids containing nanoparticles of silica and clay have been investigated and a series of optimum formulations has been inferred. Initially, effects of different factors such as type and concentration of nanoparticles, surface wettability of nanoparticles, concentration of additives, type of base fluid, variations of temperature and pressure on functionality and characteristics of drilling fluid have been observed. Then, enhancement in performance of premier samples has been investigated by the radial filtration setup, which has been designed and built for current research, on a grain packed porous media. Results indicated that the water based mud sample containing 0.2 wt.% hydrophobic nanosilica showed the highest level of functionality among water based ones with returned permeability of 68.4% and 51.1% at water saturated and oil saturated porous media, respectively. On the other hand, the oil based sample containing 0.5 wt.% hydrophobic nanosilica with returned permeability records of 73.7% at water saturated porous media and 79.6% at oil saturated formations showed the best behavior among oil based ones. At modeling section, the prominent characteristics of mud cake, permeability and thickness have been evaluated for a number of selected samples. Results confirmed that nano-enhanced drilling fluid samples generated thinner mud cakes having lower permeability values at a shorter period of time, which directly reduces filtration invasion and its corresponding formation damage. Achievements of the current thesis could be helpful at better realization of effects of surface wettability of nanoparticles alongside base fluid of the drilling mud on reduction of invasion and damage
  9. Keywords:
  10. Nanoparticles ; Formation Damage ; Drilling Fluid ; Experimental Studies ; Wettability ; Horizontal Wells ; Radial System

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