Field Tests of High-Density Oil-Based Drilling Fluid Application in Horizontal Segment

TL;DR

This paper reports on field tests of high-density oil-based drilling fluids in horizontal wells, demonstrating that controlling osmotic pressure and optimizing fluid composition enhances wellbore stability and operational efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces new field-tested measures, including pressure control and fluid formulation improvements, to improve stability and reduce costs in high-density oil-based drilling.

Findings

Maintaining higher osmotic pressure reduces pore pressure and stabilizes the wellbore.

Optimized fluid formulas with new agents improve down-hole conditions.

Pressure-controlled drilling enhances penetration rate and reduces costs.

Abstract

The operation experience of horizontal segment well in the southern Sichuan area within the hard brittle shale layer of Longmaxi formation demonstrates that the high-density oil-based drilling fluid (HDOF) induced down-hole working condition, which is typically high-temperature, high-pressure and solid-phase-dominant, will directly impact the stability of the wellbore wall. Focusing on the impact of bottom-hole osmotic pressure and solid phase content and a series of density-reduction field tests, we found some helpful countermeasures. In this paper, we study and discuss the impact of high osmotic pressure and operation measures, and provide details of the field tests which indicate that maintaining a higher osmotic pressure at the bottom-hole can reduce the formation pore pressure of the bottom hole, widen the fluid density window, and maintain the stability of the wellbore wall. By improving the HDOF formula, such as using new treatment agents (e.g. polymer modified nano-sealing agent, ultra-micro barite weight additive) and optimizing the solid particle size distribution of HDOF, we can effectively address the down-hole problems. The field test of "pressure-controlled drilling + density reduction" in horizontal drilling operations is therefore proved to be capable of reducing the complexity of down-hole faults, improving the rate of penetration, and saving the overall cost.