A novel field applicable mud formula with enhanced fluid loss properties in High Pressure-High Temperature well condition containing pistachio shell powder

Abstract

Sustainable technologies are the main concerns of the 21st century modified oilfield industries. The insufficiency of conventional drilling fluid formulations with a combination of hardly degradable hazardous chemicals as additives raise the demands of field-applicable innovative and environmentally friendly methods. Pistachio Shell discards as degradable wastes, which can intellectually apply in drilling fluid formulation. The experimental oilfield investigations of utilizing pistachio shell powder prove the significant enhancement of rheological properties, reduction of fluid loss and mud cake thickness in both API (Low Pressure —Low Temperature) and High Pressure—High Temperature (HPHT) conditions. The main point of concern is substituting polyanionic cellulose polymer, which frequently used in water-based conventional mud formulations with pistachio shell in the form of two distinct fine particle sizes. Both particle sizes prove their ultra practical properties to be used as fluid loss control agent. Also producing thin and high-quality mud cakes demonstrate their applicative field attribute. The relatively fine particle size (less than 75 μm) shows the maximum efficiency with %44 fluid loss reduction and the highest value of plastic viscosity, yield point, and gel strength, which are indicators of very appropriate rheology. Moreover, the cost analysis shows 13% reduction in the cost of preparing drilling fluid in compared to the fluid with polyanionic cellulose. The lab to field approach of the experiments increases the certainty of the field scaling practices and eliminates the demands of intermediate upscaling stages. The presented method successfully apply in one of the Iranian oil fields.