Nanoparticles for Oil Well Drilling Fluids and Cement

• Main Author: Alvi, Muhammad Awais Ashfaq
• Other Authors: Belayneh, Mesfin, Fjelde, Kjell Kåre, Bandyopadhyay, Sulalit
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Stavanger : University of Stavanger 2024
• Subjects: petroleumsteknologi; borevæske; drilling fluids; brønnteknologi; nanopartikler; VDP::Teknologi: 500::Berg‑ og petroleumsfag: 510::Petroleumsteknologi: 512; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3113151

Drilling fluids and oil well cement are essential elements of the drilling process and well construction. Drilling fluids play a crucial role in the drilling process, ensuring the safety and efficiency of well construction. Continuous monitoring and adjustment of drilling fluids are required to optimize the drilling process and solve potential problems. The job of drilling fluids is to perform several important functions, such as carrying cutting from the bottom of the hole to the surface, providing cooling and lubrication to the drill bit, maintaining hydrostatic pressure to prevent the inflow of formation fluids, stabilizing the wellbore, and creating filter cake on the wellbore wall to control fluid loss. To perform these functions, the properties of drilling fluids, such as viscosity, density, yield stress, gel strength, and filtration, are important. The typical formulation of drilling fluids is based on water and oil. Typically, drilling fluids contain additives such as clay minerals, weighting agents, polymers, and various other additives. Factors such as well conditions, environmental considerations, and formation characteristics dictate the selection of appropriate drilling fluids. Conventional water-based and oilbased drilling fluids encounter certain challenges, such as fluid loss, formation damage, stuck pipe, differential sticking, or even wellbore collapse. Maintaining proper wellbore stability requires appropriate drilling fluid formulation. Oil well cementing involves the placement of cement slurry into the annular space between the wellbore wall and casing to achieve zonal isolation, well integrity, and structural support. Conventional oil well cement can encounter various issues that can impact the well integrity, short-term and long-term performance. These include fluid loss, improper placement and setting, strength development, and formation of micro annuli, among others. Addressing these issues requires the use of specialized additives and advanced formulations tailored for specific well ...