DEVELOPMENT OF APHRON DRILLING FLUIDS (DESARROLLO DE FLUIDOS DE

PERFORACION DE AFRONES)
Frederick B. Growcock, Gerard A. Simon and Anthony B. Rea

ABSTRACT
A drilling fluid was recently introduced that contains specially designed microbubbles, or “aphrons”.
This microbubble technology has been employed effectively worldwide, and especially in Latin
America, to seal problematic formations that have very high permeability and microfractures.
Currently there are three aphron drilling systems in various stages of development: APHRON ICS,
EMS-2100, and POLYPHRON ICS. Each fluid is specifically designed to improve filtration control,
reduce ECD’s and mitigate lost circulation. A polymer/surfactant package was recently added to the
water-based systems to increase the longevity and pressure resistance of the bubbles, while the oil-
based system has an added surfactant to achieve like results.
In this paper, the authors will present the design and properties of aphron drilling fluids, and discuss
how the fluid characteristics work together to provide superior performance in drilling operations with
a high risk of lost circulation.

INTRODUCTION
Aphron drilling fluids have been successfully used in 300+ applications worldwide to drill depleted
reservoirs in mature oil and gas fields, high-permeability formations and microfractured rock. These
fluids serve as a successful and cost-effective alternative to UBD for avoidance of whole fluid loss and
differential sticking.1-4
There are two chief attributes of these fluids that permit a decrease of fluid invasion and damage to
the formation. First, the properties of the base fluid are such that upon entering a loss zone, the flow
rate decreases dramatically. This occurs because the bulk fluid is very highly shear-thinning and
possesses a very high LSRV (Low-Shear-Rate Viscosity). Second, very tough and flexible
microbubbles are incorporated into the bulk fluid with conventional mud mixing equipment. These
highly stabilized bubbles, or “aphrons,” are essential to sealing the problem area by forming an internal
bridge that acts as a loss circulation material.
Currently, there are two water-based aphron drilling fluids, APHRON ICS and EMS-2100, and one
oil/synthetic-based aphron drilling fluid, POLYPHRON ICS. In this paper, we discuss the general
characteristics of the three aphron systems, as well as recent advances in the technology.

THE APHRON STRUCTURE

Water-based aphrons, as found in APHRON ICS and EMS-2100 systems, consist of two essential
elements: a spherical core of air core and a protective outer shell.5 Water-based aphrons have a tri-
layer surfactant shell, Fig. 1, enabling it to be much more robust to temperature and pressure than a
standard air bubble, which is stabilized by only a monolayer of surfactant. Around the air core, an
inner surfactant film is enveloped by a viscous water layer, and an outer bilayer of surfactants provides
rigidity and low permeability to the structure while imparting some hydrophilic character to the shell.
Under quiescent conditions, the structure is compatible with the aqueous bulk fluid, but when enough
shear or compression is applied to the aphron, e.g. when bridging a pore network, the outermost shell
layer is stripped, rendering the aphron hydrophobic.5
Oil-based aphrons (in POLYPHRON ICS systems) are similar in structure, as shown in Fig. 2, but do
not contain the outermost surfactant layer: around the air core, an inner surfactant film is overlayed by
a viscous water layer and a single outer layer of surfactant.6
Aphrons act as a unique bridging material, forming a micro-environment in a pore network or
fracture that appears to behave in some ways like a foam, and in other ways like a solid, but flexible
bridging material. As is the case with any bridging material, concentration and size of the aphrons are
critical to the mud’s ability to seal thief zones. Aphrons are created and entrained in the bulk fluid with
standard mud mixing equipment, which reduces the safety concerns and costs associated with high-
pressure hoses and compressors commonly utilized in air or foam drilling.7 Although each application
is customized for the individual operator’s needs, the mud system is generally designed to contain 12-
15% by volume air. Aphrons are thought to be sized or polished at the drill bit to achieve a size of 15
to 100-µm diameter, which is typical of many bridging materials

DRILLING PROPERTIES OF APHRON-BASED FLUIDS

Tables 1a, 1b, and 1c illustrate typical APHRON ICS, EMS-2100, and POLYPHRON ICS formulations,
respectively. The major difference between the two water-based systems lies in the type of primary
viscosifier, which is polymer-based in the APHRON ICS system and clay-based in the EMS-2100
system. Both systems consist of viscosifiers, pH control additives, aphron generator and stabilizer, and
filtration-control additives.
Table 1c illustrates a typical formulation for the POLYPHRON ICS system. This oil/synthetic-based
system can utilize either organophilic clay or polymer as the primary viscosifier, and it also contains an
aphron generator and stabilizer.
Standard API rheological properties for the APHRON ICS and EMS-2100 systems (Table 2, 70°F,
hot-roll 150°F) and for the POLYPHRON ICS system (Table 3, 70°F, hot-roll 250°F) were acquired in the
laboratory. Also included are two properties important for all aphron drilling fluids: LSRV
-1
(Brookfield Viscometer, 70°F, L3 spindle, 0.06 sec ) and “Half-Life” (3 hr). The Half-Life is a
relative measure of the stability of the aphrons; a simple procedure for calculating Half Life is given in
Appendix A. The rheological properties of the two water-based systems are very similar, although the
LSRV and half-life are higher in the APHRON ICS system, while the fluid loss is lower in the EMS-
2100 system.

APHRON CHARACTERIZATION STUDY

The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a two-year grant to MASI Technologies LLC, a joint
venture between M-I LLC and ActiSystems, Inc.8 This two-phase project will determine how aphron
drilling fluids seal permeable and fractured wellbore rock with minimal risk of formation damage.
Various techniques are being used in this project to better understand and characterize aphrons.
These include (1) Acoustic Bubble Spectrometry,9 a technique which enables bubble analysis in opaque
fluids; (2) Sight Flow Pressurization, which allows for visualization of aphrons while varying
pressures; (3) Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, to visualize flow of aphrons in a pore
network; (4) Pressure Transmissibility, which permits measurement of the pressure loss and speed of
pressure transmission through an aphron micro-environment; (5) Interfacial tension and contact angle
goniometry, to quantify the hydrophobic nature of the aphron shell that is revealed when aphrons
aggregate in a fracture or pore network; (6) Air Diffusivity, which enables determination of the rate of
loss of air from aphrons at elevated pressures; and (7) Triaxial Loading Core Leak-Off, to test at
elevated temperature and pressure the sealing capability of aphron drilling fluids through various types
and lengths of rock core and the formation damage potential of the fluids.10

HOW APHRON DRILLING FLUIDS MINIMIZE FLUID LOSSES

Aphron drilling fluids reduce fluid invasion both rheologically and mechanically. The base fluid has a
very high LSRV, as stated earlier, yet its viscosity at high shear rates is unusually low. Thus,
equivalent circulating density (ECD) is quite low and the potential for fracture initiation and
propagation is also low. In addition, the base fluid has relatively low thixotropy, as evidenced by the
similarity between the 10-min and 10-sec gel strengths. Thus, when fluid suddenly enters a low-shear-
rate region, viscosity builds very rapidly. In contrast, typical clay-based fluids are very thixotropic, as
evidenced by highly progressive gels, and minutes (if not hours) are required for viscosity of a clay-
based fluid entering a loss zone to build to the high level required to stem fluid invasion.
Mechanical stabilization of the wellbore is also of paramount importance for aphron drilling fluids.
Aphrons can form bridges within the loss zone that act as an internal seal to complement the
rheological properties of the base fluid. For aphrons to be effective, they must be stable. Aphron
stability is accomplished through control of the size, collision rate and mechanical properties of the
microbubbles. The bubble size can be controlled by the amount of shear energy put into the system,
along with the surfactant type and concentration. The collision rate is inversely proportional to the
bulk fluid viscosity, so that an increase in bulk viscosity decreases the rate of coalescence among
aphrons. Not only does the high viscosity of the base fluid itself slow fluid invasion in the loss zone, it
also reduces the rate of coalescence and aggregation of the bubbles until they reach the pore throat or
fracture tip, at which point they are forced together into a large bubble complex of deformed bubbles.
Thus, an internal seal is formed, as shown schematically in Fig. 3.2 This seal may have properties not
unlike that of a non-adhering foam, i.e. the bubbles do not wet the pore/fracture walls; consequently,
the bubbles are easily flushed back out via formation fluids during production.2

SUMMARY
Aphron-based drilling fluids have been used in numerous applications worldwide to successfully
control fluid losses in weak and low-pressure zones. These zones are stabilized rheologically and
mechanically: the low-thixotropy highly shear-thinning base fluid generates an intrinsic low rate of
fluid invasion, while the aphrons form internal seals across pore networks and microfractures. The
surface chemistry of these aphrons is such that the internal seal is capable of being broken by flow-
back of produced fluids.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the managements of M-I LLC and MASI Technologies LLC for permission to present
this paper.
NOMENCLATURE
ECD = equivalent circulating density
UBD = underbalanced drilling
LSRV = low-shear-rate viscosity
HTHP = high-temperature high-pressure

REFERENCES
1. Montilva, J., Ivan, C.D., Friedheim, J. and Bayter, R.: “Aphron Drilling Fluid: Field Lessons From
Successful Application in Drilling Depleted Reservoirs in Lake Maracaibo,” OTC 14278, presented
at the 2002 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, May 6-9, 2002.
2. Growcock, F.G., Simon, G.A., Rea, A.B., Leonard, R.S., Noello, E. and Castellan, R.: “Alternative
Aphron-Based Drilling Fluid,” IADC/SPE 87134, presented at the 2004 IADC/SPE Drilling
Conference, Dallas, Mar. 2-4, 2004.
3. Brookey, T., Rea, A. and Roe, T.: “UBD and Beyond: Aphron Drilling Fluids for Depleted
Zones,” presented at IADC World Drilling Conference, Vienna, June 25-26, 2003.
4. Growcock, F.B., Simon, G.A., Guzman, J., and Paiuk, B.: “Applications of Novel Aphron Drilling
Fluids,” AADE-04-DF-HO-18, presented at the AADE 2004 Drilling Fluids Conference, Houston,
Apr. 6-7, 2004.
5. Sebba, F.: Foams and Biliquid Foams – Aphrons, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester (1987).
6. Growcock, F.B., Khan, A.M. and Simon, G.A.: “Application of Water-Based and Oil-Based
Aphrons in Drilling Fluids,” SPE 80208, presented at SPE International Symposium on Oilfield
Chemistry, Houston, Feb. 5 – 8, 2003.
7. White, C.C., Chesters, A.P., Ivan, C.D., Maikranz, S. and Nouris, R.: “Aphron-Based Drilling
Fluid: Novel Technology for Drilling Depleted Formations,” World Oil, vol. 224, no. 10 (Oct.
2003).
8. United States Department of Energy press release, “New 'Smart Drilling' Projects Promise Lower
Cost, More Reliable Gas Drilling,” (Sept. 8, 2003).
9. Duraiswami, R., Prabhukumar, S. and Chahine, G.L.: “Bubble Counting Using and Inverse
Acoustic Scattering Method,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 104 (1998) 2699.
10. Ivan, C.D., Growcock, F.B. and Friedheim, J.E.: “Chemical and Physical Characterization of
Aphron-Based Drilling Fluids,” SPE 77445, presented at the 2002 SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 2002.
SI METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS
bbl X 0.159 = m3
cP X 1.00 = mPa-s
°F X (°F-32) X 5/9 = °C
ft X 0.3048 =m
gal X 0.00379 = m3
in X 0.0254 =m
lb X 0.454 = kg
lb/bbl X 2.853 = kg/m3
lb/gal X 119.8 = kg/m3
lb/gal X 0.120 = Specific Gravity (SG)
2
lbf/100 ft X 0.478 = Pa
psia X 6.895 = kPa

APPENDIX A – HALF-LIFE OF ENTRAINED AIR2

The Half-Life method serves as a simple way to determine bubble stability of aphron-based drilling
fluids. The calculation assumes that the rate of loss of entrained (undissolved) air follows standard first
order kinetics, as in the case of a true foam. Although aphrons are better characterized as dispersed
bubbles rather than foams and their rate of decay is not strictly first order, experience indicates that the
Half-Life is a fair trend indicator of bubble stability.

First determine the “initial” amount of entrained air in the mud using the following expression:

% Airi = [(dt – di)/dt] x 100

where dt is the theoretical density of the air-free mud and di is the initial density after the aphron
generation step.

Determine the “final” amount of entrained air in the mud after some arbitrary period of time, tf, e.g.
3 hr, 24 hr:

% Airf = [(dt – df)/dt] x 100

The rate coefficient for loss of air from the mud, KAir, is given by

KAir = (tf – ti)-1 ln (% Airi/%Airf) = tf-1 ln (dt – di)/(dt – df)

where ti = 0 and df is the “final” mud density after the desired waiting period. Note that the Half-Life
for decay of the entrained air, τ1/2, is simply equal to

τ1/2 = ln 2 / KAir = 0.693/KAir

Table 1a. Formulation of APHRON ICS System

Component Function Concentration

Fresh water/brine Continuous phase 0.97 bbl

Soda ash Hardness Buffer 3 lbm/bbl

GO DEVIL II Viscosifier 5 lbm/bbl
ACTIVATOR I System Stabilizer 5 lbm/bbl

ACTIVATOR II pH control 0.5 lbm/bbl

BLUE STREAK Aphron Generator 2 lbm/bbl
Biocide Biocide 0.05 gal/bbl
EMI-779 Aphron Stabilizer 0.5 lbm/bbl
EMI-780 Aphron Stabilizer 0.5 lbm/bbl
EMI-802 Aphron Stabilizer 0.3 lbm/bbl
ACTIGUARD Mud Conditioner and 1 lbm/bbl
Shale Stabilizer
Oligomer* Defoamer As Needed
* Optional Component

Table 1b. Formulation of EMS-2100 System

Component Function Concentration

Fresh water/brine Continuous phase 0.97 bbl

Soda ash Hardness Buffer 0.25 lbm/bbl
Caustic Soda Alkalinity Control Agent 1.5 lbm/bbl
EMI-781 Viscosifier 25 lbm/bbl
EMI-782 Filtration Control System 2 lbm/bbl
Stabilizer
BLUE STREAK Aphron Generator 0.5 lbm/bbl
Biocide Biocide 0.05 gal/bbl
EMI-779 Aphron Stabilizer 0.5 lbm/bbl
EMI-780 Aphron Stabilizer 0.5 lbm/bbl
EMI-802 Aphron Stabilizer 0.3 lbm/bbl
ACTIGUARD Aphron Enhancer and 1 lbm/bbl
Shale Stabilizer
Oligomer* Defoamer As Needed
* Optional Component
 Table 1c. Formulation of POLYPHRON ICS System

Component Function Concentration

Oil/Synthetic Fluid Continuous phase 0.97 bbl

TRIVIS Viscosifier 25 lbm/bbl
TRIVIS CP+ Secondary Viscosifier 2 lbm/bbl
MICRODYNE Aphron Generator 3 lbm/bbl
Water Polar Activator 10 lbm/bbl

Table 2. Standard Properties of Typical APHRON ICS and

EMS-2100 Systems
Additive Units APHRON ICS EMS-2100
Water mL/lab bbl 338 331
Soda Ash g/lab bbl 3 0.3
Caustic Soda g/lab bbl 1.5
GO DEVIL II g/lab bbl 5
ACTIVATOR I g/lab bbl 5
EMI-781 g/lab bbl 25
EMI-782 g/lab bbl 2
ACTIVATOR II g/lab bbl 2
BLUE STREAK g/lab bbl 1 0.5
EMI-779 g/lab bbl 0.5 0.5
EMI-780 g/lab bbl 0.5 0.5
ACTIGUARD g/lab bbl 1 0.2
Std API Viscosity
600 rpm Reading ° 94 84
300 rpm Reading ° 78 63
200 rpm Reading ° 70 53
100 rpm Reading ° 60 42
6 rpm Reading ° 39 23
3 rpm Reading ° 36 22
PV cP 16 21
2
YP lb/100ft 62 42
2
Gel 10 sec lb/100ft 39 30
2
Gel 10 min lb/100ft 58 46
LSRV (0.06 sec-1) cP 192,000 130,000
API Fluid Loss mL/30 min 7.1 14
Half-Life hr 152 108
Table 3. Standard Properties of Typical POLYPHRON ICS System
Before Hot- After Hot-
Additive Units Rolling Rolling, 185 F
Diesel lab bbl 0.97 0.97
TRI-VIS g/lab bbl 15 15
TRI-VIS CP+ g/lab bbl 2 2
MICRODYNE g/lab bbl 3 3
Water lab bbl 0.03 0.03
Std API Viscosity
600 rpm Reading ° 34 41
300 rpm Reading ° 28 25
200 rpm Reading ° 16 19
100 rpm Reading ° 11 13
6 rpm Reading ° 6 8
3 rpm Reading ° 3 6
PV cP 6 16
2
YP lb/100ft 22 9
2
Gel 10 sec lb/100ft 3 6
2
Gel 10 min lb/100ft 3 6
-1
LSRV (0.06 sec ) cP 63,500 72,800
HTHP Fluid Loss* mL/30 min -- 2
Half-Life hr -- 5
Electrical Stability V 984 1,130
* 185 deg F
 Weakly Bound Surfactant

Water-
Water-Based Mud

Air
Surfactant Bi-
Bi-Layer

Viscosified Aqueous
Layer

Figure 1. Schematic of Water-Based Aphron

Surfactant Molecules

Oil-
Oil-Based Mud

Air

Viscosified Aqueous
Layer

Figure 2. Schematic of Oil-Based Aphron

Annulus Formation
Transition Zone

Higher Pressure Zone p Lower Pressure Zone

Aphrons
or
Polyphrons

Figure 3. Formation Invasion by Aphron Drilling Fluid