Kuwait Drilling Fluids - Innovation in Technology Development

Company: Kuwait Drilling Fluids, Kuwait, Kuwait
Company Description: KDF together with MISWACO (A Schlumberger Company) looks forward to developing and delivering solutions that benefit our customers. MISWACO (A Schlumberger Company) is an international company that offers a broad range of products and services to the oil and gas sector, We offer our expertise in: -Drilling and completion fluids -Solids-control equipment -Drilling waste management equipment
Nomination Category: Technology Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Award for the Innovation in Technology Development - All Other Industries

Nomination Title: High-Performance Water-Base Fluid Performs As An Environmentally Friendly Alternative To Oil-Base for Drilling Challenging Wells in Kuwait

Provide an essay of up to 625 words describing the nominee's innovative achievements since July 1 2018:

A major Operator in Kuwait have used historically Non-Aqueous Fluid (NAF) to drill the buildup section through the challenging shale formations, mainly due to wellbore stability issues and lubricity requirements. As part of the operator's environmental improvement strategy, the operator and fluids provider team identified potentially fit for purpose High Performance Water Base Mud (HPWBM) as the most suitable, environmentally acceptable alternative to NAF’s.

A HPWBM system was designed and proposed based on extensive laboratory testing to overcome drilling challenges. Inhibition characteristics and formation sealing capabilities of conventional KCL polymer mud with sulphonated asphalt were enhanced by using a liquid polyamine based clay hydration suppressant and a co-polymeric nano-sized shale-sealing additive. A customized bridging package based on the pore size distribution was also introduced, using calcium carbonate and resilient graphite particles. The combination of effective bridging and sealing polymer helped in sustaining high overbalance to avoid differential sticking tendency, designed in laboratory conditions during the planning stage.

The field trial was a great success compared to the use of conventional fluid systems and methodologies. Using High Performance Water Base Mud, the operator successfully drilled and cased 12.25" and 8.5" sections as per plan with stable wellbore indicated by the smooth trips and no string stalling or sticking tendency.

After this successful trial operator decided to use the system in several fields to replace Oil Base System.