A Novel Superfine Fibrous Lost Circulation Material derived from Date Tree for Seepage Loss control

Abstract

Abstract Lost circulation is one of the major challenges faced by oil and gas industries around the globe causing significant amount of drilling non-productive time. Loss of drilling fluid could lead to additional drilling problems such as stuck pipe, borehole instability or a potential well control event. There are different types of materials such as fibrous, flake type, particulate, etc. are available in the industry to combat loss of circulation. Superfine fibrous type of materials are used to mitigate seepage losses. These fibrous materials are derived from wood fibers. The objective of this paper is to develop an eco-friendly, biodegradable superfine fibrous lost circulation materials from date tree fibers for addressing seepage type losses. We have developed a novel fibrous lost circulation material (Arc Fiber SF) using date tree waste available locally as the raw material. Small scale crushing and grinding process were used for lab scale sample preparation. A suitable particle size distribution of the superfine materials required for seepage loss control have been achieved by sieving process. In order to demonstrate the seepage loss control ability of the superfine materials, low sold non-dispersive KCl-polymer samples have been formulated incorporating superfine fibrous materials and for comparison, a mud formulated using commercially available seepage loss control material. HPHT filtration control experiments carried out at 212 °F and 500 psi also proved the ability of these materials in reducing the amount of filtrate. This observation suggests that the date tree fiber based LCM is a suitable alternative to commercial fibrous LCMs used in the industry. The in-house product Arc Fiber SF has been developed by simple grinding and sieving process of date tree waste and has the potential to replace the commercial equivalents.