Baker Hughes drilling fluid system optimizes circulating pressures

Posted on 02 July 2013

The Baker Hughes MPRESS drilling fluid system was developed and tested using a rigorous quality assurance program at the Baker Hughes fluids labs in Houston.

Baker Hughes’ recently commercialized the MPRESS drilling fluid system, which enables operators to manage circulating pressure more efficiently by reducing stand pipe pressure and applying more horsepower to the bottomhole assembly and drill bit.

The shear-thinning rheological profile of the MPRESS system has a “rapid-set/easy-break” gel structure that minimizes the cuttings in the vertical section of the wellbore from settling into the curve during connections and trips. It also has elevated ultra-low-shear-rate viscosity (ULSRV) that minimizes the likelihood of the cuttings in the lateral section from agglomerating on the bottom of the wellbore “gluing down” during connections. Both the rapid-set gels and elevated ULSRV help keep the wellbore clean and minimize torque and drag associated with cuttings beds in the lateral section. In addition, the gels within the MPRESS system have the ability to break easily, reducing surge pressure when tripping in the hole so mud losses are reduced.

The MPRESS system  reduces viscosity in the drillstring, while optimizing viscosity in the annulus for more efficient cuttings transport. The pressure saved in the drillstring can be used to increase flow rate, provide more power to motors and bits, and save wear and tear on surface equipment. In combination with other Baker Hughes technologies, such as the Autotrak Curve rotary steerable system and Talon high-efficiency PDC bits, the pressure profile of the MPRESS system enables efficient drilling of challenging lateral sections in unconventional reservoirs.

MPRESS, Autotrak and Talon are a trademarks of Baker Hughes.

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Onshore-tested MHA drilling fluid seeks offshore applications

By Katherine Scott, associate editor

ViChem’s MHA drilling fluid undergoes lubricity testing using an OFITE Extreme Pressure and Lubricity Meter at the company’s lab in Conroe, Texas.

As regulations around handling and disposal of drilling fluids get tougher around the world, ViChem Specialty Products believes its multi-hydroxyl alcohol (MHA) drilling fluid system can fill a niche need. The fluid, which was launched in 2011, is a “hybrid between OBMs and WBMs,” Dr Buddy Gaertner, ViChem director of research and development, said.  The multi-hydroxl alcohols in the system are short-chain hydrocarbons similar to oil, allowing for performance and stability comparable to oil-based muds. However, unlike petroleum products, the MHA molecule contains hydroxyl groups on each of the carbons in the chain, allowing it to be soluble in water and remain non-toxic to the environment.

So far, the MHA has been field-tested and commercially deployed onshore only, primarily in the US Marcellus and Eagle Ford plays, but ViChem is working to take the fluid system offshore for additional field testing. The company notes that lab tests have shown its L-20 lubricant, which is a non-petroleum based organic vegetable oil, will work well with the seawater used in offshore drilling. “It turns out that our lubricant is more effective in saltwater and helps it work well with multi-hydroxyl alcohols,” Dr Gaertner said.

The best application for the MHA system, he continued, is in areas where environmental drivers are strongest, such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado and New York. “We’re working with an environmental consulting agency, Tox Strategies, on our overall strategy to quantify environmental claims and will submit our product to several companies to be tested for offshore use in the Gulf of Mexico but also to expand that to make sure that we meet North Sea regulations, as well.”

ViChem’s MHA fluid was field-tested on Nabors’ Rig 716 in Madison County, Texas. So far, the fluid system has been tested and commercially deployed primarily in the Marcellus and Eagle Ford.

In a December 2011 field trial in the Eagle Ford/Woodbine, the MHA system was used to compare the toal depth versus days in the surface-hole sections of two horizontal wells, one using the MHA and one using a conventional WBM. The MHA system drilled without incident to 13,500 ft in less than 18 days, while the offset well drilled with the conventional WBM took 29 days to reach 10,800 ft and routinely pulled tight, taking reaming upon completion to run the final string of casing. The MHA system not only saved time but also increased the production potential of the well because of the additional length of the horizontal in the payzone, according to ViChem.

The MHA system does have its limitations, particularly around cost and temperatures. “For your conventional water-based muds, where you’re operating in very shallow, easy wells, there’s still a target for it because they are very inexpensive. And because our system is natural, there’s a temperature limit of about 350°F, so in those places that are really deep and really hot, OBMs are still needed,” he said.

Dr Gaertner attributes the success of the MHA system so far to the three years of research that was done at ViChem’s Conroe, Texas, lab before it was rolled out. “That’s why we were able to take this giant leap from what has been traditionally used in the oilfield and what we’re proposing to use right now, because we started in a laboratory, backed it up with research and then combined that with field application.”

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CMP<font size="-1">^™</font> Defender - New Completion Tool Prevents Fluid Loss During Sand Control Operations

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 29, 2003) – A new completion component from Baker Oil Tools improves performance on frac pack and gravel pack operations by saving time and preventing fluid loss that can impair well productivity. The new tool, the CMP™ Defender sliding sleeve, has been run successfully in the Gulf of Mexico in both deepwater and shelf operations.

Improving on Traditional Completion Systems

A common completion practice in Gulf of Mexico frac packed and gravel packed wells is the incorporation of a concentric string inside the sand control screen. A mechanical sliding sleeve built into the concentric string is opened with the sand control service tools to provide returns during gravel placement and then closed to control fluid loss as the service tools are removed from the well. After installing the upper well completion, slickline or coiled tubing intervention is required to open an additional mechanical sliding sleeve to allow production.

The CMP Defender sliding sleeve saves time and reduces fluid loss compared to these earlier methods by allowing the well to be brought on production without slickline or coiled tubing intervention.

Advantages of CMP Defender Sleeve

The CMP Defender Sliding Sleeve's improved performance is the result of several innovative design features. The CMP tool is a high-performance, pressure-equalizing, non-elastomeric sliding sleeve with a spring-loaded external housing. In the run-in position, the tool provides positive isolation and pressure containment. A traditional mechanical sliding sleeve run below the CMP provides for returns during gravel placement and fluid loss control after packing.

Once the upper well completion is installed in the hole, a single, remote application of surface tubing pressure releases the CMP tool's outer housing. As the applied pressure is bled off, the spring-loaded housing shifts open to allow the well to produce. By opening when pressure is bled off, the CMP Defender sleeve can be used for multi-zone completions, with only one tool required per zone. After actuation, the CMP Defender Sliding Sleeve can be mechanically manipulated to control production from the well, if required.

Shelf and Deepwater/Subsea Completions

Two recent completions successfully utilized the CMP Defender sleeve on wells operated by Devon Energy Corporation, one a shelf completion and the other a deepwater subsea completion using Baker Oil Tools' InForce™ Intelligent Well System (IWS). Both wells involved dual zones and required fluid loss control and isolation devices that opened from surface.

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