OTC-26322-MS

New Approach on Drilling Fluids Technology to Improve Drilling

Performance
R. Lomba, W. F. Cardoso Jr, C. H. M. de Sá, and A. R. D’Almeida, Petrobras

Copyright 2015, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference Brasil held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 27–29 October 2015.

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Abstract
The use of a high quality mud is an essential requirement to guarantee a successful drilling operation. The
drilling industry aims to build wells at low costs and as fast as possible. Among other drilling problems,
an adequately formulated drilling fluid will prevent wellbore instability while contributing to generate an
in gauge borehole. Usually, one of the desired properties of a drilling mud is the least as possible
interaction with the drilled formation. On the other hand, the idea of a chemically active fluid that would
react with the rock to help improving drilling performance is very welcome. This kind of fluid should not
only mitigate drilling problems but also contribute for the improvement of the overall process. The work
presents the advances in drilling fluid technology to overcome the challenges that have arisen with the
discovery of Pre Salt offshore Brazil, specially the drilling of long salt section containing highly soluble
salt layers and the low penetration rates in hard carbonate rocks. An extensive theoretical and experi-
mental work was carried out to assist drilling fluid design in this drilling scenario. A special fluid
formulation developed to interact with carbonate rocks and increase penetration rate is presented.
Although some important issues have yet to be addressed, the preliminary results show a good potential
for the new technology.
Introduction
Pre Salt discoveries offshore Brazil brought up a series of technological challenges that should be
addressed to safely and cost effectively explore and develop the fields. This drilling scenario involves
extremely complex logistics and very high costs. The present work addresses two main issues: drilling of
long salt sections in deep and ultra deep waters and low penetration rates through carbonate rocks. The
ultimate purpose is to reduce well construction costs. The first issue demands special care in order to
minimize the impact of drilling fluid-rock interactions on fluid properties and borehole caliper. The
second one focus on the contribution of special formulated drill-in fluids to the overall drilling perfor-
mance.
The paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental investigation and the development of
design tools to fit the purpose. The following topics are covered: (a) inhibited water based drilling fluids
for salt drilling; (b) a trial use of a chelate additive in a water based drilling fluid formulation to improve
the rate of penetration through carbonates; (c) next steps on fluid technology development.
2 OTC-26322-MS

Improved WBM formulations for Salt drilling

Non-Aqueous Fluids
It is well known that the best fluid to drill through salt formations avoiding excessive salt dissolution and
borehole enlargement is a non-aqueous formulation. Saturated sodium chloride brines may be a good
choice if the lithology is predominantly halite. However, in the presence of large amounts of highly
soluble salts (carnalite and tachyhydrite) one can experience severe caliper enlargement if the brine is not
adequately inhibited and even an invert emulsion fluid may not be 100% effective.
The results presented in Table 1 show that the presence of water in the invert emulsion fluid contributes
to tachyhydrite incorporation by the fluid. Oil-water ratios equal to 60/40, 80/20 and 90/10 were tested and
two different brines were used as internal phase of the fluids: sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium chloride
(CaCl2). The increase of the oil-water ratio and the use of calcium chloride brine as the internal phase of
the fluid reduce the effect but do not stop it completely. Electrical stability values are lower at the end of
the static tests, suggesting that the tachyhydrite incorporation into the fluids leads to less stable invert
emulsions. Oil, water and solids contents were determined through a retort test and the results show an
increase in the water content of the muds in all cases (Lomba et al., 2010).

Table 1—Results from static experiments with tachyhydrite

Fluid volume ⴝ 150 cm3 Fluid volume ⴝ 300 cm3

NaCl CaCl2 NaCl CaCl2 NaCl CaCl2

Fluid 60/40 60/40 80/20 80/20 90/10 90/10

Tachyhydrite initial mass, g 18.6310 16.6417 12.3939 16.0472 95.1304 100.8277

After 24 h 14.7450 15.2553 9.9693 15.0937 93.4456 99.6884
20.86% 8.335 19.56% 5.94% 1.77% 1.13%
After 48 h 11.5293 13.8067 8.0597 14.0107 91.7777 98.7144
38.12% 17.04% 34.97% 12.69% 3.52% 2.10%
After 6 days 2.2669 10.7346 5.2745 11.5457 84.7292 92.8720
87.83% 35.50% 57.44% 28.05% 10.93% 7.89%
After 8 days 0.7223 8.0363 3.8527 10.4093 85.8495 90.8556
96.12% 51.71% 68.91% 35.13% 9.76% 9.89%
Total dissolved mass 17.9087 8.6054 8.5412 5.6379 9.2809 9.9721
Dissolved mass, g/cm3 0.1194 0.0574 0.0569 0.0376 0.0309 0.0332
After 11 days - - - - 80.3353 88.0421
- - - - 15.55% 12.68%
Total dissolved mass - - - - 14.7951 12.7856
Dissolved mass, g/cm3 - - - - 0.0493 0.0426
Electrical Stability before, V 383 345 430 395 520 481
Electrical stability after, V 200 147 245 153 298 267
% Oil before 56 54 78 74 84 84
% Oil after 50 52 76 72 84 84
% water before 40.6 40.6 18.0 20.3 10.1 10.1
% water after 47.3 42.8 20.3 22.5 11.3 11.3
% solids before 3.4 5.4 4.0 5.7 5.9 5.9
% solids after 2.7 5.2 3.7 5.5 4.7 4.7

Aqueous Fluids
Due to the extremely high solubility of tachyhydrite (CaCl 2 .2MgCl 2 .12H 2 O) and carnalite
(KCl.MgCl2.6H2O) in water, some aspects of these salts behaviour were investigated, especially regarding
the saturation and equilibrium point in aqueous solutions. Tachyhydrite and carnalite are highly soluble
OTC-26322-MS 3

even in saturated sodium chloride solutions as precipitation and recrystallization of sodium chloride occur
due to the dissolution of the preferencially soluble in water magnesium and calcium chlorides.
Therefore, the dissolution of carnalite and tachyhydrite samples in sodium chloride saturated viscosi-
fied brine was experimentally investigated in order to quantify the loss of mass of the salts immersed in
the test solution over time. The absence of MgCl2 e CaCl2 in the initial brine tended to stretch the interval
between the initial (t⫽0) and equilibrium conditions. A strong dissolution of the samples in the brine was
observed before the equilibrium was reached. As expected, the results showed that the dissolution rates
were considerably higher at the beginning and that they flattened out with time (Lomba et al., 2013).
Based on literature data (Meyer et al., 1949), an experimental test matrix was elaborated in order to
verify the potential of a mixed salt brine to prevent tachyhydrite and carnalite dissolution during drilling.
The samples were immersed in the brines at room temperature and the weight loss was measured over
time. The results are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

Figure 1—Weight loss with immersion time – Carnalite and halite in Fluid#1
4 OTC-26322-MS

Figure 2—Weight loss with immersion time – Tachyhydrite and halite in Fluid#2

Two different brines were formulated, the first one, a magnesium chloride brine containing small
amounts of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, and the second one, a mixture of magnesium chloride
and calcium chloride cointaining a small amount of sodium chloride:
Fluid #1:
MgCl2 – 36 % w/v
NaCl – 0.33% w/v
KCl – 0.1% w/v
Fluid #2:
MgCl2 – 18.5% w/v
CaCl2 – 26.5% w/v
NaCl – 0.32% w/v
The results show a low dissolution rate during the first 6 days and an equilibrium state reached
afterwards. After 13 days, 85% (carnalite) and 97% (halite) of the initial sample mass was preserved and
a small amount of suspended solids was observed in the solutions (Figure 3 and Figure 4).
OTC-26322-MS 5

Figure 3—Carnalite and halite immersed in Fluid#1 at timeⴝ0 and after 13 days

Figure 4 —Tachyhydrite and halite immersed in Fluid#2 at timeⴝ0 and after 13 days

Therefore, a water based mud prepared with a combination of magnesium and calcium salts, such as
fluid #1 and fluid #2 should be inhibitive enough to prevent excessive caliper enlargements during
drilling. This kind of fluid is recommended wherever the presence of highly sensitive salts (carnalite and
tachyhydrite) in the lithological column is considerable.

WBM formulation to improve drilling performance

A major concern in Pre Salt exploration is the low penetration rates experienced during drilling. Since the
discovery of Pre Salt province, a lot of effort has been dedicated to the development of drilling tools to
6 OTC-26322-MS

overcome the problem and reduce well construction time and costs. Drilling bits technology has
experienced a great advance with good results in the field. Along with the improvement of bit design, the
idea of using a reactive fluid to improve drilling performance got stronger and some initiatives appeared
in order to use a mud that reacts with the carbonate formations. At first, the natural candidate would be
an acidic fluid that would react instantenously with the rock according to the reaction shown below:

Of course, this proposal arises a lot of concerns and challenges, corrosion being one of the most
important of them. Drilling muds are alkaline by nature and a no-reactivity is one of the requirements of
a good drilling fluid system. However, to think out of the box may lead to disruptive options and huge
rewards.
Chelate-Based Fluid
In order to introduce few changes in the process, the first trial was an alkaline chelate solution and a
formulation was developed using the sodium salt of diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA-5Na).
Table 2 presents the composition of the chelate-based fluid. The active concentration of chelate in the fluid
was limited to the maximum of 62.5 g/L, due to offshore environmental restrictions. At higher chelate
concentrations, the fluid did not pass the requirement of a minimum LC50 of 30.000 ppm in the toxicity
test with Mysidopsis Juniae organism.

Table 2—Fluid with DTPA-5Na 62.5 g/L @ 9.5 ppg

Product Name Concentration, ppb
Water, bbl/bbl 0.8220
Xanthan Gum, lb 2.00
DTPA-5Na (40% w/w sol), lb 54.74
NaCl, lb 54.07

The rheological properties @ 120°F after aging for 4 hours @ 120°F are presented in Table 3.

Table 3—Rheological properties of fluid with DTPA-5Na after

aging
Rheology @ °F 120
␪ 600/ ␪ 300 39/31
␪ 200/ ␪ 100 27/22
␪ 6/ ␪ 3 11/9
10-sec Gel, lbf/100 ft2 11
10-min Gel, lbf/100 ft2 14
Plastic Viscosity, cP 8
Yield Point, lbf/100 ft2 23

First, the fluid was tested in the lab for response to reaction with carbonate rock and the results showed
best reaction rates at pH range from 9 to 12. In addition, the composition was positively evaluated
regarding its compatibility with loss of circulation materials and cementing slurries.
Later on, a pilot test with a stratigraphic drilling rig showed a significant increase in rate of penetration
when drilling an 80 cm length outcrop carbonate block with a 3 5/8” PDC bit. Figure 5 shows the results.
OTC-26322-MS 7

Figure 5—Results of pilot drilling test with a stratigraphic rig

The next step involved a pilot test in a full scale-drilling simulator. Cylindrical limestone samples 15
½” (319 mm) diameter by 36” (914 mm) long were drilled with the chelate-based fluid and a PDC bit.
The results were compared with the behavior of other drilling fluid formulations showing similar
rheological and filtration properties (Curry et al., 2013).
Although some operational problems were identified, the drilling performance seemed to have been
somehow improved as shown by the lower mechanical specific energy (Figure 6) and torq (Figure 7)
values reported.
8 OTC-26322-MS

Figure 6 —Specific Mechanical Energy results for different fluid formulations

OTC-26322-MS 9

Figure 7—Torq results for different fluid formulations

The operational problems, however, counterindicated the field trial. The problems are listed below:
● High consumption rate of DTPA-5Na during drilling
● Degradation of fluid properties as calcium was chelated
● No way to remove chelated material from fluid
● Continuos increase in fluid toxicity as chelated calcium was not removed from the fluid

Acid-Based Fluid
After the experience with the chelate-based fluid, the research turned its focus to drilling fluid formula-
tions containing emulsified and/or encapsulated acid solutions for improved penetration rates in carbonate
formations. An acidic water in oil invert emulsion is under evaluation with promising results so far. The
fluid is a 60/40 normal paraffin/acidic sodium chloride brine invert emulsion formulated with a specific
emulsifier and other additives for rheological adjustments. No calcium oxide is added to the system.
The fluid was tested in the lab for calcium carbonate dissolution performance under shearing. The
preliminary results encourage further developments. The pictures in Figure 8 show the surface of a
calcium carbonate rock sample before and after the acidic emulsion attack.
10 OTC-26322-MS

Figure 8 —Rock surfaces (a) before and (b) after acidic fluid attack

A pilot test is on the way. Carbonate rock blocks will be drilled with a simple acidic invert emulsion
formulation to test the concept.
Final Remarks
The new drilling scenarios brought up new challenges that push the technology towards the development
of taylor-made additives to overcome the problems. Nanotechnology and encapsulation techniques are
potential areas that may contribute to the development of disrupting drilling fluid systems to aggregate
value to the overall drilling process, improving drilling performance and lowering well construction costs.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Professor Edvaldo Sabadini (UNICAMP) for his contributions to this
paper.

References
R. F. T. Lomba, W. F. Cardoso Jr, M. G. Folsta, C. J. C. Gonçalves, A. L. Martins, A. F. L. Aragão,
and M. F. Oliveira - Drilling Fluids Design Tools to Salt Sections Drilling IBP 2603_10 presented
at Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2010, September 13-16th 2010.
R. F. T. Lomba, G. T. Teixeira, R. R. Pessanha, B. S. Lomba, M. G. Folsta, W. F. Cardoso Jr, and
J. T. Gonçalves Petrobras - Lessons Learned in Drilling Pre-Salt Wells with Water Based Muds
OTC 24355-MS presented at the Offshore Technology Conference Brasil held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, 29 –31 October 2013.
T. A. Meyer, C. F. Prutton, and W. J. Lightfoot – Equilibria in Saturated Salt Solutions V. The Quinary
system CaCl2 - MgCl2 – KCl – NaCl - H2O at 35°. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1949, 71 (4), pp 1236 –1237.
D. Curry, R. Bland, A. Lourenco, P. Lutes, R. Lomba, and C. E. da Fonseca – Full-Scale Laboratory
Study of the Impact of Drilling Fluid Composition and Properties on Penetration Rates in Brazilian
Pre-Salt Carbonates SPE-166325-MS presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 30 September–2 October 2013.