Presentation

Mazhar Ali Soomro (K13PG43)

Topic: Air, Natural Gas and Foam used as

Drilling Fluid

Drilling Engineering-I

Contents
Foam mud
Its properties and applications
Foam Drilling
Advantages and Disadvantages of Foam
Drilling
Air, Its composition, function and
applications
Air drilling
Advantages and disadvantages of Air
Drilling

Stiff Foam mud

Foam is created by combining water, surfactants and air.

Foam (stiff; like shaving cream) is circulated as the drilling fluid.

Stiff foam applications include areas of severe lost circulation, large

diameter holes and unconsolidated formations. Stiff foam can be
prepared by injecting a base slurry of 35 45 seconds per liter
viscosity fluid prepared.

It acts in the manner of a drilling fluid, cleaning the hole by

suspending and carrying the cuttings out of the wellbore. When
properly formulated to produce an apropos liquid volume fraction,
stable foam exhibits superior hole cutting carrying capabilities to
that of a drilling liquid

Super Foam Mud

Super-foam

is a biodegradable mixture of anionic surfactants which has been formulated for use in the
mineral and water well drilling industries.
Typical Properties
Appearance: Thin liquid, fluorescent yellow
pH: 7.5 9.5
Application
Super-foam

may be used in a variety of air drilling operations, ranging from simple air drilling to stiff
foam drilling where the foam is extended by the use of polymers such as Liqui-pol or Aus-trol, Ezee-pac R
and Trol or Bio-vis.

Advantages
Environmentally

friendly and biodegradable, it does not pollute.

Generates instant high foam quality of exceptional stability.
Economical, produces stable foam at low concentrations.
Reduces erosion when drilling poorly consolidated formations.
Reduces air requirements and allows deeper drilling.
Reduces the tendency of softer clays to stick together.
Improves hole cleaning and increases penetration rates
Effective in suppressing dust.
Cuttings carrying capacity is 6-7 times grater than Air / Dust.
Required annular velocity for optimum hole cleaning is significantly lower Air / Mist Drilling. AV = 1000
1500 ft/ min.

Foam Drilling

Foam Drillingisespeciallysuitablefordrillinglargeholesin
formationsthatarepronetolostcirculation.Foamisgeneratedat
thesurfacebymixingtheairfromthecompressorswithafoaming
solutionfromthemistpump.

Theconsistencyofthisfluidismuchlikeshavingcreamwithan
interlockingbubblestructureofencapsulatedairprovidingalifting
capacitysuperiortothattoanydrillingfluid.

TheadjustmentoftheFoamQuality(gas/fluidratio)inconjunction
withabackpressurevalveallowstheoperatortoproduceabottom
holepressureequivalenttoacirculatingfluidweightintherange
0.2to0.8s.g.

Foam Drilling
In

foam drilling, water, surfactants, and air are

combined to create a stiff foam. The foam is then
circulated as a drilling fluid. The cuttings carrying
capacity is 6-7 times greater than dust drilling, and the
required annular velocity for optimum hole cleaning is
significantly lower. The lower air volume equals less air
equipment is required than in dust or mist drilling.
Holding back pressure on the annulus can reduce water
influx and/or maintain hole wall stability. But foam
drilling has its drawbacks: surface requirements, or
pits, for foam can become a problem; large pits must
be built to contain foam and allow time for the foam to
settle; the cost of chemicals to break down foam can
be high; a large influx of fluids can break down the
foam, reducing hole cleaning.

Foam drilling

Air
Pure

air is a mixture of several gases that

are invisible and odorless. It consists of
about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and less
than 1% of argon, carbon dioxide, and
other gases as well as varying amounts
of water vapour. Adults breathe in about
10-20 cubic metres of air every day. Thats
about 20,000 breaths. Children breathe
almost twice that amount because they
are smaller, and their respiratory systems
are still maturing.

Air Drilling
Air

Rotary Drilling is a method used to drill deep boreholes in rock formations.

Most water wells and environmental monitoring wells drilled into bedrock are
constructed using air rotary. It is used for the drilling in all rock types, igneous,
metamorphic, and sedimentary rock.
Deep drilling for the recovery of crude oil and natural gas are almost exclusively
carried out in sedimentary rock. Boreholes for the recovery of geothermal steam
and water are constructed in all three rock types.
This method is also called Dust drilling due to the clouds of dust (finely ground
formation cuttings) that are expelled away from the well bore by way of a return
line usually called a Blooie Line.
The

rotary drilling method requires the use of a rock cutting or crushing drill bit,
typically a mill tooth tri-cone roller cone bit. This type of drill bit uses more of a
crushing action to advance the bit in the rock.
Impact energy is supplied to the drill bit from either an above ground impact or
down hole impact hammer. This impact force aids in the drilling. Depending on
the competency of the substrate, drill casing is advanced as the hole is cut to
keep the hole open during drilling. Competent rock may be drilled "open hole"
not requiring the use casing.

Milled tooth tri-cone bit

Drill Cuttings

In Air Rotary, all drill cuttings are lifted from the bit face to the
ground surface using high pressure compressed air.

Compressed air laden cuttings are typically routed into a device

called a cyclone where the air is slowed and exits out the top
while the rock chips drop out the bottom into a pile or soil bin. If
drilling below the water table, copious amounts of water are also
ejected with the rock chips requiring water management.

Depending on the depth of the hole, one or more additional air

compressors called "tag on air" may be required to lift drill
cuttings. Driven split spoon samples are not typically feasible
due to the hardness of the drilled materials.

Air Drilling

Dust drilling is another term for air drilling; compressed

air is the sole circulating medium. Because no fluid is
injected, the annular returns are dust.

Dust drilling provides an ideal environment for use with

air hammers, is the least expensive type of air drilling,
requires no fluid system for cleanup, provides maximum
penetration rates, and extends drill bit life.

However, dust drilling cannot effectively handle wellbore

fluid influxes, those influxes will wet cuttings and result
in mud rings in the annulus, and there is a risk of a
down-hole fire if mud rings are not eliminated. Switching
to mist or foam drilling would allow continued air drilling
in the presence of water.

Air drilling layout

DryAiriscompressedandboostedtotherequiredcirculationpressuretoremove
cuttingsfromtheholewithhighannularairvelocitiesfrom2500to3500feetper
minute

videoplayback_3.flv

Advantages

air is the ideal low density drilling medium, air drilling

provides many advantages. To achieve the best results and
greatest economy, several factors must be considered for
air drilling. The best conditions for air drilling involve hard,
dry formations that produce relatively few formation liquids.
Once the formation is completely dry, or the influx of liquids
is small enough to be absorbed in the air stream, the drill
cuttings return to the surface as dust. The process allows
for the immediate and sustained evaluation of
hydrocarbons.

Other advantages of air drilling are low cost, increased rate

of penetration, extended bit life, superior control in
cavernous and lost circulation areas, and minimal damage
to liquid-sensitive pay zones.

Increased rate of penetration occurs because the low

density of air or gas used minimizes hydrostatic pressure
and aids with fracturing. The rate of penetration in air
drilling has been recorded at up to 200 ft/hr compared to 30
ft/hr in conventional drilling.

Advantages of Air
Drilling-:

The main advantages of Air Drilling are as follows:

Increased Penetration Rates over conventional drilling fluid systems,

in many cases 2 - 3 times higher

Ability to drill Lost Circulation zones and low-pressured formations,

and maintain returns

Formation Damage is minimized since to the lack of hydrostatic

pressure.

Extended Bit Life since the compressed air cools the bit and
transports the cuttings more quickly away from the drill bits cutting
structure

Faster R.O.P. (2-5 times faster than on Mud)

Improved Deviation Control (light WOB)

Minimal Formation Damage in Production section

Effective Pressure Control thru Lost Circulation Zones

Detection of Low Pressure Zones

Faster return of drilled cuttings (formation evaluation)

Overall Lower Cost per Foot

Most Common Air Drilling Applications

Hard Rock Drilling where ROP is less than15 ft/hr using

mud.

Areas that have Deviation Problems with conventional

BHAs and use light WOB.

Lost Circulation Problems

Pay-Zones that are sensitive to Formation Damage

Functions

The most common air drilling applications include: hard rock drilling
where rate of penetration is less than 15 ft./hr. using mud, areas
that have deviation problems with conventional BHA's and use light
WOB, lost circulation issues, and pay zones that are sensitive to
formation damage.

Disadvantages of Air Drilling

Large amount of Air Volume used

High Annular Velocity is required to carry cuttings up the
hole;3000 ft/min.
5000 ft/min Annular Velocity suggested for Optimum Hole
Cleaning

Formation Pressure Control is minimal

Can Not drill when H2 S zones are present
Danger of Down-hole fires: Use Nitrogen membrane
Use Fire Float / Stop
Use Mist

Disadvantages

Large water-bearing formations are the biggest enemies

of air drilling, and the rate of formation water influx that
can be handled is not defined. However, when water is
encountered, mist, foam, aerated, or slug drilling can be
used.

Other disadvantages to air drilling include: possible down

hole fires and explosions, sloughing of formations (when
dry or wet), and soft formations.

Such disadvantages reduce air drilling's efficiency, but

modern air equipment can handle the challenges.
Another detriment of air drilling is bits going out of
gauge, which is prevalent when hard, abrasive quartzite
sands are drilled.

How to overcome down hole

fires in borehole?
Nitrogen

Membrane

Like mist drilling, Nitrogen membrane drilling minimizes

chance of down hole fire. Membrane units usually reduce
operating costs when compared to cryogenic (liquid)
nitrogen drilling and transportation problems related to
liquid nitrogen are eliminated. The US patent for nitrogen
membrane drilling is held by Weatherford, which owns
the largest fleet of on-site generated membrane
Nitrogen Production Units in the world.

Advantages

Minimizes chance of Down hole Fire

Membrane Units typically will reduce operating costs.

Nitrogen

A colorless, odorless gas, Nitrogen is a non-hydrocarbon

inert gas used for a variety of functions in the drilling, work
over and completion phases of oil and gas wells, as well as
in pigging and purging pipelines

Additionally, nitrogen is used to maintain pressure in

reservoirs that have either been depleted of hydrocarbons
or experienced natural pressure reduction. Because
nitrogen is immiscible (or does not mix) with oil and water,
a nitrogen injection program or nitrogen flood can be used
to move missed pockets of hydrocarbons from an injection
well to a production well

Thanks for your kind attention

ANY QUESTION??