Abstract
Treatment of the filter cake layer after drilling is essential for better cement integrity and to retain the original reservoir permeability. Compared to water-based filter cake, oil-based mud filter cake removal is more sophisticated as oil encloses the filter cake’s particles. Therefore, oil-based mud clean-up requires wettability alteration additives (mutual solvents and/or surfactants) for permitting acid/filter cake reaction. With an appropriate acid, microemulsions were reported to be very efficient in cleaning oil-based filter cakes, due to their low interfacial tension and high acid solubility. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the different techniques and treatment solutions utilized in oil-based filter cake clean-up. Furthermore, a synopsis of the various treatments for drilling fluids densified with different weighting materials is presented. Subsequently, the research limitations and opportunities have been highlighted for future work. In the light of the review that has been presented in this paper, it's recommended to conduct further investigation on some areas related to filter cake removal. The removal of filter cake formed from weighting materials other than barite, calcium carbonate, ilmenite, and manganese tetroxide needs to be investigated thoroughly. Additionally, the overall efficiency of oil-based mud removal needs to be studied under wide ranges of temperature, salinity, and pH. The utilization of surfactant-free microemulsions in filter cake treatment could also be investigated.
Highlights
Drilling fluids are designed to facilitate the drilling operation by performing different functions such as downhole tools lubrication, rock cuttings suspension, and transportation to the surface (Fink, 2012; Gordon et al, 2008)
The filter cake formation and its characteristics are considered as principal features of any drilling fluid (Bourgoyne, 1986; Hossain and Al-Majed, 2015; Rabia, 2001)
The objective of this paper is to report and summarize the different approaches for the removal of the filter cakes formed by oil-based drilling fluids
Summary
Drilling fluids are designed to facilitate the drilling operation by performing different functions such as downhole tools lubrication, rock cuttings suspension, and transportation to the surface (Fink, 2012; Gordon et al, 2008). The drilling fluids should provide an adequate hydrostatic pressure which must be greater than the formation pressure to provide an overbalance, which is required to avoid flow from the formation into the wellbore and to keep the wells under control. In addition to rock pores plugging, external filter cake can plug the completion screens and gravel pack, and subsequently, the productivity/injectivity of the wells will reduce significantly; it requires to be treated efficiently (Davison et al, 2001; Jiao and Sharma, 1992; Quintero et al, 2005). These drilling-related damages are more severe in horizontal wells due to longer exposure to the drilling fluids. In the light of the review covered, future research opportunities have been highlighted
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