Drilling Fluid Dewatering: Economic Evaluation With Case

History
Introduction

Drilling fluids (muds) have various functions in oilfield drilling, some of which are bottomhole cleaning
and transport of drilled rock particles (drilled solids, particles (drilled solids, low-gravity solids, clays,
cuttings) to surface. At the surface, drilled solids are to be removed as much as possible from the
recirculating drilling fluid as it passes through the series of tanks (active mud system) and solid-liquid
separators (solids control system). Three solid-liquid separation principles are used: (1) gravity
settling, (2) screening, and (3) centrifugal separation. The latter principle is utilized in principle is
utilized in hydrocyclones, mud cleaners (combination separators) and centrifuges of which the
decanting centrifuge has seen wider application and enhancement in recent years. The first
functionally complete system which attempted to close the loop of solids control, i.e., returning low-
density drilling fluid back to the active system while discarding unwanted low-gravity solids, was built
in 1976. The units were designed to operate on both unweighted and weighted drilling fluids. This
improvement did much to reduce the volume of low-gravity solids that accumulate in the recirculated
drilling fluid while the hole is drilled. Fine rock particles (2-5 microns) and larger enter the active
system while drilling through clays or mud-making shales. The mechanical agitation of these fines in
the ascending flow in the borehole annulus continues to increase their active surface due to sorbtion
of water, swelling and disintegration. Chemicals are required to negate these effects through coating
the clay particles or altering their particles or altering their surface due to ion exchange. Fines
buildup can reduce penetration rates, and cause penetration rates, and cause several hole problems
such as washouts, drag and torque, pipe sticking and differential sticking. Conventional solids
control equipment can not remove these fines, therefore, water dilution has traditionally been used to
reduce their concentration. However, dilution generates excess mud volume which later becomes a
drilling waste. This problem is especially acute when problem is especially acute when drilling the
first 600 to 900 m (2000 to 3000 ft). Excess mud is stored on-site in a large 6070 m2 (1.5 acres)
earthen pit adjacent to the drilling rig. With excess volume comes the need for disposal.
Conventionally, on-site disposal has been almost entirely employed. A much smaller volume of
excess can be stored In covered tanks, frac tanks, when a reserve pit is not employed. On-site
disposal is used both offshore and on land locations. Offshore, the disposal of drilling fluid differs
depending upon whether it is oil-base or water-base. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulates offshore discharges based on the mud
type used. When disposal is allowed for oil-base mud cuttings, they are washed prior to discharging.
Retained oil averages 9.4% by weight. Bulk oil-base mud can not be discharged overboard.

Daftar rujukan :

Authors
A.K. Wojtanowicz (Conoco Inc.) | J.M. Griffin (Louisiana State U.)
Document ID
SPE-20292-MS
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Publication Date
1989
Drilling Fluid Dewatering: Economic Evaluation With Case
History
Pengantar

Pengeboran lumpur memiliki berbagai fungsi dalam pengeboran ladang minyak, beberapa di
antaranya adalah pembersihan dan pengangkutan partikel batuan yang dibor (zat padat yang
dibor, partikel (padatan yang dibor, padatan dengan gravitasi rendah, tanah liat,) ke permukaan.
Di permukaan bor padatan harus dihilangkan sedapat mungkin dari cairan pengeboran sirkulasi
saat melewati serangkaian tangki (sistem lumpur aktif) dan pemisah padat-cair (sistem kontrol
padatan). Tiga prinsip pemisahan padatan-cair digunakan: (1) Penetapan gravitasi, (2)
penyaringan, dan (3) pemisahan sentrifugal Prinsip yang terakhir digunakan pada prinsipnya
digunakan dalam hidrosiklon, pembersih lumpur (pemisah kombinasi) dan sentrifugal yang
centrifuge penitisan telah melihat aplikasi yang lebih luas dan peningkatan dalam beberapa tahun
terakhir. Sistem fungsional pertama yang lengkap yang berusaha untuk menutup loop kontrol
padatan, yaitu, mengembalikan cairan pengeboran berkepadatan rendah kembali ke sistem aktif
saat membuang gravi rendah yang tidak diinginkan. padatan, dibangun pada tahun 1976. Unit ini
dirancang untuk beroperasi pada cairan pengeboran yang tidak ditimbang dan berbobot.
Peningkatan ini banyak mengurangi volume padatan gravitasi rendah yang terakumulasi dalam
cairan pengeboran yang diresirkulasi sementara lubang dibor. Partikel batuan halus (2-5 mikron)
dan lebih besar memasuki sistem aktif saat pengeboran melalui lempung atau serpih lumpur.
Agitasi mekanik denda ini dalam aliran naik dalam anulus lubang bor terus meningkatkan
permukaan aktif mereka karena penyerap air, pembengkakan dan disintegrasi. Bahan kimia
diperlukan untuk meniadakan efek ini melalui pelapisan partikel tanah liat atau mengubah
partikelnya atau mengubah permukaannya karena pertukaran ion. Denda penumpukan dapat
mengurangi tingkat penetrasi, dan menyebabkan tingkat penetrasi, dan menyebabkan beberapa
masalah lubang seperti washouts, drag dan torsi, sticking pipa dan diferensial menempel.
Peralatan kontrol padatan konvensional tidak dapat menghilangkan denda ini, oleh karena itu,
pengenceran air secara tradisional telah digunakan untuk mengurangi konsentrasi mereka.
Namun, pengenceran menghasilkan volume lumpur berlebih yang kemudian menjadi limbah
pengeboran. Masalah ini sangat akut ketika masalah sangat akut ketika pengeboran pertama 600
hingga 900 m (2000 hingga 3000 kaki). Lumpur berlebih disimpan di lokasi di dalam sebuah
lubang tanah seluas 6070 m2 (1,5 hektar) yang berdekatan dengan rig pengeboran. Dengan
volume berlebih datang kebutuhan untuk pembuangan. Secara konvensional, pembuangan di
tempat telah hampir seluruhnya digunakan. Sejumlah kelebihan yang lebih kecil dapat disimpan
dalam tangki tertutup, tangki frac, ketika lubang cadangan tidak digunakan. Pembuangan di
tempat digunakan baik di lepas pantai dan di lokasi darat. Lepas pantai, pembuangan cairan
pengeboran berbeda-beda tergantung apakah basis minyak atau basis air. Eliminasi Penghapusan
Debit Polutan Nasional Sistem Eliminasi Pelepasan Polutan (NPDES) mengatur pembuangan
lepas pantai berdasarkan jenis lumpur yang digunakan. Ketika pembuangan diizinkan untuk
potongan lumpur minyak, mereka dicuci sebelum dibuang. Rata-rata minyak yang tertahan 9,4%

berat. Lumpur minyak dasar massal tidak bisa dibuang ke laut.

This paper describes laboratory and field assessments of a series of inhibitive water muds
developed by BP. RCS 1 contains cationic starch to control fluid loss and to inhibit shale expansion
further. RCS 2 is a highly inhibitive version of RCS 1 containing polyglycerol. RCS 3, the most
inhibitive mud of the series, contains a phosphate salt and polyglycerol. Levels of inhibition appear
close to those of oil-based mud.

Introduction

Oil-based drilling fluids are used widely throughout the U.K. North Sea and confer operational and
economic benefits to exploration, appraisal, and development drilling activities. These benefits are
well-quantified and, without other (environmental) considerations, the use of oil-based drilling muds
(particularly those prepared with low-toxicity paraffinic oils) would be even more extensive.
Unfortunately, the use of these muds results in the discharge of contaminated cuttings overboard,
which consequently damages the benthic community. Addy et al. quantified the extent of the
affected zone around development platforms, and restrictions on the discharge of oily cuttings are
progressively being imposed on the basis of this and subsequent data. Because of legislative
changes, operators have reappraised their drilling fluid programs and have developed a variety of
responses, varying from a reversion to water-based drilling fluids to novel methods of oily-cuttings
disposal. It is against this background that the present development of inhibitive water-based drilling
fluids is taking place. The prime focus is control of the Tertiary shale formations found across much
of the central and northern North Sea and Norwegian continental shelf. One of the more successful
water-based drilling fluid formulations used to control Tertiary shales to date is the KCl/polymer
system. These muds were used extensively for Forties field development drilling in the mid-1970's
and early 1980's. Although these wells could be drilled, shale control clearly still was inadequate and
mud dilution was excessive. This was both environmentally and economically undesirable. This
paper details the development of a series of fluids modeled on the basic KCl/PHPA system at BP
Research Centre, Sunbury-on-Thames. Three fluids, RCS 1, RCS 2, and RCS 3, have been
developed, and RCS 1 and RCS 2 have been field tested. We will describe the laboratory testing of
these fluids and discuss experience gained from the field trials.

Laboratory Development of RCS Mud Systems

The RCS muds were developed after a detailed study of many commercial muds; they are based on
the widely used potassium chloride/partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (KCl/PHPA) systems. They
arose from consideration of the mechanisms by which KCl/PHPA muds are understood to function.
Potassium ions retard the expansion of swelling clays (smectites) and, hence, of shales containing
these minerals. The high salt levels used in many of these muds also promote clay flocculation by
collapsing extended electrical double layers. This helps limit shale dispersion. High-molecular-weight
linear polymers, such as PHPA, adsorb on mineral surfaces to form a slick, robust coating that
provides a degree of mechanical integrity to shale softened by the ingress of mud filtrate. Bailey et
al. suggested that adsorbed polyacrylamide does not reduce either the amount of water taken up by
the shale or the degree of swelling but simply provides resistance to erosion by circulating mud. As
discussed earlier, it is commonly held that the KCl/PHPA system is the most inhibitive water-based
mud in widespread use. This system is adequate for drilling in many areas but still causes severe
hole problems when used in very reactive shales. The RCS mud systems demonstrate
improvements over the performance of KCl/PHPA muds. Series RCS 1, RCS 2, and RCS 3 each
successively increased inhibition of shale expansion. The key components and properties of the
fluids follow. properties of the fluids follow. RCS 1
RCS 1 features an additive that increases the tenacity with which PHPA adheres to shale surfaces.
PHPA adheres to shale surfaces. In an alkaline mud environment, the edges and faces of exposed
clay mineral particles are negatively charged, and, therefore, it is difficult to envisage that significant
quantities of anionic PHPA molecules will be strongly adsorbed. The adsorption that does PHPA
molecules will be strongly adsorbed. The adsorption that does occur is ascribed to one of several
mechanisms, including calcium ion bridges and screening of negative charges on the mineral
surfaces and polymers by highly saline fluids. We reasoned that shale inhibition could improve if the
charge on the polymer were reduced or, better, reversed. This prompted a study of cationic
polyacrylamides and bridging agents. Laboratory tests showed that the greatest improvement in
shale inhibition was obtained, not from cationic polyacrylamide, but from a mixture of conventional
PHPA and a cationic starch. [Cationic starch is prepared by reacting potato starch with either 2-
dimethylaminoethyl chloride or n-(2,3-epoxypropyl)-trimethyl ammonium chloride.] This starch
functions to control fluid loss as well as to inhibition. Although RCS 1 contains a cationic polymer, we
have not observed incompatibility with the anionic components of the mud (xanthan gum and
PHPA). The fluid's response to salt, cement, and drilled solids contamination is similar to that of
PHPA muds. We assessed shale inhibition with a series of routine tests: a modified dispersion, an
unconfined swelling, and a penetrometer test (see Ref. 12). Shales used in the tests are London
(Eocene, swelling, and dispersive), Kimmeridge (Jurassic, nonswelling, but very dispersive), and
Oxford (Jurassic, swelling, and slightly dispersive) clays. All shales are preserved specimens taken
from working U.K. quarries. Figs. 1 through 3 compare RCS 1 inhibition results with those for several
other systems. These results confirm that the combination of cationic starch and PHPA improves
control of shale dispersion considerably but does not affect swelling or softening significantly. This is
consistent with the enhanced performance of the encapsulating polymer in the RCS 1 system. While
RCS 1 significantly but incrementally improves inhibition compared with conventional KCl/PHPA
muds, it is still inadequate for drilling the most highly reactive shales. Further improvements in
dispersion control and at least some management of the swelling and softening reactions clearly are
necessary. These requirements are addressed by RCS 2.

RCS 2

Pericone et al. and Hale et al. extensively discussed the ability Pericone et al. and Hale et al.
extensively discussed the ability of water-soluble glycol and glycerol derivatives to control reactive
shales. Laboratory work and recent BP field trials of a KCl mud containing one such product,
polyglycerol, confirmed that, if used correctly, these materials could improve inhibition significantly.

Daftar rujukan :

Authors
P.I. Reid (BP Intl. Ltd.) | R.C. Minton (BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd.)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2118/23077-PA
Document ID
SPE-23077-PA
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source
SPE Drilling Engineering
Volume
7
Issue
04
 Publication Date
December 1992
Ringkasan

Makalah ini menjelaskan penilaian laboratorium dan lapangan dari serangkaian lumpur air
penghambat. Lumpur yang paling menghambat dari seri, mengandung garam fosfat dan
poligliserol. Tingkat penghambatan tampak dekat dengan lumpur berbasis minyak.

Pengantar

Cairan pengeboran berbasis minyak digunakan secara luas di sepanjang Laut Utara Inggris dan
memberikan manfaat operasional dan ekonomi untuk kegiatan eksplorasi, penilaian, dan
pengembangan pengeboran. Manfaat ini dikuantifikasi dengan baik dan, tanpa pertimbangan
(lingkungan) lainnya, penggunaan lumpur pengeboran berbasis minyak (terutama yang dibuat
dengan minyak parafinat rendah toksisitas) akan lebih luas. Sayangnya, penggunaan lumpur ini
menghasilkan pembuangan potongan yang terkontaminasi ke laut, yang akibatnya merusak
komunitas satwa air luasnya zona yang terkena dampak di sekitar platform pengembangan, dan
pembatasan pada pembuangan potongan berminyak semakin ditentukan berdasarkan data ini dan
selanjutnya. Karena perubahan legislatif, operator telah menaksir kembali program fluida
pengeboran mereka dan telah mengembangkan berbagai tanggapan, bervariasi mulai dari
pembalikan ke cairan pengeboran berbasis air hingga metode baru pembuangan limbah
berminyak.