Rheological Properties of Water Based Drilling Fluid in Deep Water Drilling Conditions

Abstract

The rheological property of the drilling fluid was one of the focus problems in deep-water drilling, which was widely concerned. In the article, the viscosity-temperature properties of commonly used water soluble polymeric solution, polymeric brine solution, bentonite slurry, polyacrylamide-potassium chloride drilling fluid with different densities and water-base drilling fluid systems commonly used for China offshore well drillings were studied. 4°C-to-20°C viscosity ratio and 4°C-to-20°C YP ratio were used to judge the thickening level of drilling fluids due to low temperature. The experimental results show that on the condition of without considering the influence of pressure on the rheological property of water-base drilling fluid, its viscosity and yield point raised obviously with the decrease of temperature, but the increase level is proximately the same, its 4°C-to-20°C apparent viscosity ratio is basically within the 1.50. Analysis indicates that the viscosity of water-base drilling fluid depends on the viscosity of dispersed media. The performance of water medium determines the viscosity-temperature property of the water-based drilling fluid. It is proposed that in deep water drillings, if a water-base drilling fluid is used, it is not necessary to emphasize the influence of deep water and low temperature on the flowability. On the condition of guaranteeing wellbore stability and borehole cleaning, it is more suitable for using the water-base drilling fluid with low viscosity and low gel strength for deep water well drillings.