Open Hole Completions: Drilling Fluid Selection

Abstract

AbstractMatching reservoir characteristics and completion technology with optimum drilling fluid formulation is important to the economics of any field development. In recent years, this need has become even more important with the growing application of open hole completions in high angle or horizontal wellbores that are now commonly drilled and completed with the same drill-in fluid.Openhole completions place several demands on the drilling fluids used in the payzone section. In order to maximise benefits, the properties of the fluid need to be optimised for the conditions prevailing in the reservoir. The drill-in fluid needs a rheology good enough to enable good hole cleaning, lubricity good enough to avoid frictional problems, good inhibition with respect to interstitial clays and interceded shales, and, very importantly, to be minimally damaging to the permeability of the formation. Other factors to be considered include completion design and proposed payzone clean up procedure.The number of potential variables involved means it is very difficult to design a single fluid to cover all eventualities, but a range of alternative drill-in systems has been developed in which each fluid is designed to cover a limited set of circumstances. Most applications can be covered by at least one of the fluids. This paper will discuss four generic drill-in systems, each of which embodies a different approach to achieving the desired properties:water-based polymer systems which may be based on brines of vaiying concentration and which may contain water or acid soluble bridging particlesall-oil systems, covering a wide density rangeaqueous system based on a complex formed between bentonite and mixed metal silicate.solids-free water-based polymer systemFormulations, properties and some examples of field performance are presented together with a discussion of relative advantages and disadvantages of each system type. The objectives of each fluid type are reviewed against actual field experience. Factors influencing selection of fluid type are discussed and guidelines are presented.