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Experimental Investigation into a Novel Supersaturated Saline Drilling Fluid Available in Anhydrite Formation: A Case study of Missan Oilfields, Iraq

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Abstract

The supersaturated saline drilling fluid (SDF) with strong inhibition, as a novel alternative to anhydrite formation drilling, is crucial for the safe and economic drilling operation. In this work, a high performance supersaturated SDF was experimentally formulated in terms of the long anhydrite features of Missan Oilfields. Composite weighting approach involving liquid and solid materials was introduced to reinforce the inhibition of supersaturated SDF. A suite of laboratory tests was conducted to screen the essential viscosifiers and filtrate reducers, and optimize the formula of supersaturated SDF, by means of evaluating the basic rheological and filtration properties. The results showed that univalent salts, NaCl, KCl, and HCOONa, are utilized to formulate the multiple brine phase, and polymeric additives, VIS and S-FLO, can effectively improve rheology and filtration properties. The newly developed supersaturated SDF exhibits the excellent thermal stability, lubricity, as well as inhibition capability, which should be an instructive solution to minimize the hole problems in the anhydrite drilling.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Welfare Technology Research Project of Zhejiang Province (No. LGG20E040002), Educational Commission General Project of Zhejiang Province(No. Y201840431), and Zhoushan Science and Technology Plan Project(2019C21006) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Petrochemical and Energetic Engineering, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China

    Lin Xu

  2. Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing, 102249, China

    Xin Huang

  3. Hubei Cooperative Innovation Center of Unconventional Oil and Gas, Yangtze University, Wuhan, 430100, China

    Fu-chang You & Ming-biao Xu

  4. Jiahua Technology Co., Ltd, Jingzhou, 434000, China

    Fu-chang You

  5. Institute of Exploration Techniques, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China

    Jie Xu

  6. CNOOC (China) Co., Ltd, Shanghai Branch, Shanghai, 315000, China

    Jun Gao

  7. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT95AG, UK

    Mei-lan Huang

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  1. Lin Xu
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  2. Xin Huang
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  3. Fu-chang You
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  4. Jie Xu
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Correspondence to Ming-biao Xu.

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Xu, L., Huang, X., You, Fc. et al. Experimental Investigation into a Novel Supersaturated Saline Drilling Fluid Available in Anhydrite Formation: A Case study of Missan Oilfields, Iraq. Arab J Sci Eng 46, 6797–6807 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04911-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04911-x

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