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Global Research & Technology Centre/ GRTC Training Department

Non Aqueous Fluids

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What is mud

LIQUID
WATER OIL

SOLIDS
BENTONITE/GEL BARITE CHEMICALS SALT DRILL SOLIDS

MUD
WATER-BASE MUD OIL-BASE MUD

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Why is SBM the ultimate drilling fluid?

Oil is non-polar i.e. there is NO reaction with water sensitive clays & shales. Clay & shale formations remain stable in an SBM environment provided that the salinity of the SBM brine phase is higher than the salinity of the in-situ shale pore fluid, ie maintain osmotic backflow from the shale to the SBM. No shale hydration problems
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Why is SBM the ultimate drilling fluid?

A very stable mud system over a wide range of drilling challenges & environments Very low rates of invasion / minimal pore pressure penetration Very high temperature stability High ROPs Minimal bit balling & accretion Environment but can be managed at a cost! Cost of managing discharges Lubricity, ie low torque & drag
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What is an Emulsion?
A mixture of two immiscible liquids in which one liquid exists in the form of very small droplets dispersed throughout the other liquid
Shear input creates a water in oil emulsion. The emulsifiers stabilise that emulsion Cease all shear input & the fluids will separate with time depending upon the strength of the emulsion

Natural state of two immiscible liquids

oil

Interfacial tension separates water and oil

oil
water oil

water
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water

What is an Emulsion?
To obtain small droplet of uniform size, energy or work must be applied in the form of shear. Sufficient shear to form a stable emulsion in mud pits and LMP (Liquid Mud Plant) Sufficient shear can be achieved through turbulent agitation by special high-shear devices of when circulating through the bit jets, mud gun or with some centrifugal pumps.

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What is an Emulsion?
Centrifugal Pump

SBM in the mud tank Drilling Bit Bit Nozzle

Mixing Hoper
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What is an Emulsifier?
Emulsifiers are chemicals that stabilise physical emulsion once it is formed
Emulsifier molecule:
Water soluble portion Oil soluble portion

Hydrophilic water loving

Lipophilic oil loving

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How does an Emulsifier Work?

An emulsifier stands on the boundary between the continuous oil phase and the water droplet or solid particle

Hydrocarbon chains Oil phase

Water droplet

Emulsifier molecules coat the water droplet giving it an oil wet surface

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How does an Emulsifier Work?

Emulsifier molecules preferentially oil wet the face of the wellbore, drill cuttings and all the steel surfaces. Emulsifier molecules form a semi-permeable membrane at the face of the wellbore

Emulsifier

Drill Cutting
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Primary and Secondary Emulsifier

Most oil based mud use a system of two emulsifiers to ensure a stable emulsion as the mud is contaminated by cuttings and formation fluids. Primary emulsifiers include: Fatty acids Rosin acids and their derivatives

Secondary emulsifiers include: Amines Amides Sulphonic acids, alcohols and related co-polymers Secondary emulsifiers act to preferentially oil wet drill solids and barite. They also act to improve emulsion stability, particularly at high temperature

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Different types of emulsifiers

Fatty acid emulsifiers:

Tall oils - complex mixtures of oxygenated hydrocarbons anionic ( -) Tall oils require activation by a metal ion usually calcium derived from LIME to be saponifyed i.e. Fatty acid Calcium Soap

Imidazoline emulsifiers:

Cationic (+) and anionic ( -) Anionic imidazolines require LIME for activation Thermal stability generally inferior

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Different types of emulsifiers

Polyamide / Polyester emulsifiers:

Non-ionic emulsifiers do not require LIME for activation Highly resistant to salt contamination High thermal stability Good oil wetting capability

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HLB values (Hydrophile - Lipophile Balance)

Stabilisation of water in oil emulsion

(typically non-ionic)

Preferential oil wetting of solids ie wetting agents / thinners

(typically ionic)

Stabilisation of oil in water emulsion

4 Hydrophilic molecule

6 Lipophilic module

10

11

12

13

Ratio by weight of the hydrophilic molecule to the lipophilic molecule rises

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What should a GOOD emulsifier package achieve?

Establish a stable emulsion of water in oil Maintain a stable water in oil emulsion while tripping, logging and running casing, i.e. minimal coalescing of water droplets under static conditions leading an increase in fluid loss (i.e. invasion) & consequently filter cake thickness. Preferentially oil wet ALL particulate matter i.e. barite & drill solids.

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What should a GOOD emulsifier package achieve?

Preferentially oil wet steel surfaces. Achieve good oil wetting characteristics without a significant impact on low shear rheology ie. thinning effect. Remain stable at anticipated bottom hole temperatures.

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Impact of a stable vs unstable waterin-oil emulsion

Dynamic conditions i.e. circulating mud system
Stable emulsion Unstable emulsion

Lower fluid loss properties

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Higher fluid loss properties

Impact of not sustaining a stable waterin-oil emulsion under static conditions

Static conditions, i.e. tripping, running casing & sustained logging programs
Stable emulsion Unstable emulsion

Lower static fluid loss properties over short term

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Higher static fluid loss properties over short term

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Organophillic Clays
The role of organophilic clays in SBM:
Primary viscosifier for synthetic oil based muds

Untreated bentonitic clays will neither disperse nor yield in SBM without first being treated with quaternary amine.

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The Role of Amine treated lignite and Lime

Role of black powders in SBM Lignites will not disperse in SBM without first being reacted with Quaternary Amines

Minimise filtrate invasion Improve filter cake quality

Role of Lime in SBM

Saponification reaction with fatty acid type emulsifiers Converting some additives into oil soluble forms To maintain alkaline environment environment. This is especially relevant to dealing with H2S

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The Role of Salt (CaCl2, etc) in SBM

Brine is present in SBM to reduce the volume of oil and therefore the cost & to hydrate the organophilic clay viscosifier

Shale

SBM brine phase Result = shale dehydration. Caution: Taken to extremes can cause bore hole collapse.

Shale / pore water salinity lower

Brine phase salinity higher

In situ shale pore water Dilute solution Concentrated solution

Semi permeable membrane (skin) of emulsifier molecules formed on the face of the well bore does not impede the osmotic backflow of pore fluid from the shale to the higher salinity SBM brine phase.
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Monitoring SBM Salinity

The only way to successfully monitor the salinity of a SBM in the field is to examine the condition of the cuttings coming over the shale shaker screens.

Soft sticky cuttings indicate an immediate increase in the water phase salinity Very dry, dehydrated cuttings indicate an immediate decrease in the water phase salinity. Cuttings should be firm / discrete & travel smoothly over the shale shaker screens

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Components of an Invert Emulsion Mud

1. Base oil or synthetic fluid 2. Water Possibly with salts 3. Emulsifiers Primary Secondary 4. Wetting Agents 5. Viscosifiers 6. Fluid Loss Control Additives 7. Weight Material 8. Special Additives (Rheology modifiers, etc)

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Base Fluids
OILS

Diesel
Low Toxic Mineral Oil Base Fluids

LTOM Escaid 110

Synthetic Base Fluids
IO Internal Olefin C16 C18 LAO Linear Alpha Olefin IP Iso Paraffin LP Linear Paraffin ESTER Ester derived from Palm Oil / Olefin etc., Blends of Ester & Synthetic (for deepwater)

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Base oils currently used to build oil based mud

Low toxicity mineral oil :
A refined mineral oil with its intrinsic toxicity reduced by the removal of aromatic compounds, both mono and polynuclear aromatics.

Paraffin
Any of the saturated aliphatic [as opposed to aromatic] hydrocarbons of the methane series, i.e. Alkanes such as methane, ethane, propane, pentane, hexane, etc.

Olefin
Olefin A family of unsaturated, chemically active hydrocarbons with one carbon-carbon double bond; includes ethylene and propylene & alkene.

Esters
Esters occur in nature as lipids. Lipids are naturally occurring organic molecules isolated from cells and tissues by extraction with nonpolar organic solvents. Most common lipids are animal fats and vegetable oils.

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Typical Base Oil & Properties

Fluids Sarapar 147 Saraline 98V Saraline 185V Saraline 200 Escaid 2000 Escaid 110 EDC95-11 HDF 2000HF HDF 2000 IO (16/18) LAO (16/18) AQUAMUL LVT 200 Ether Diesel Density (SG) 0.773 0.810 0.780 0.783 0.811 0.794 0.815 0.813 0.808 0.780 0.780 0.840 0.800 0.830 0.865 Kinematic Viscosity (@ 40oC) 2.5 mm2/s 2.5 - 4.0 mm2/s 2.8 mm2/s 3.0 -4.0 cSt 3.12 cSt 1.64 cSt 3.5 cSt 3.5 cSt 3.3 cSt 3.09 cSt 3.08 cSt 3.5 cSt 2.0 - 3.0 cSt 6.0 cSt 2.0 cSt Flash Point
o

Pour Point
o

Aniline Point
o

120 >85 85 95 128 83 118 117 105 137 146 > 135 100 166 37.8

12 0 -30 -18 0 N/A -27 -31 -22 -24 0 <-60 -18 -10 -17.7

93 N/A +75 88 87 77 91 90 89 81 81 N/A 169 40 66

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Scomi Oiltools NAF System

CONFI-DRILL CONFI-DENSE CONFI-DEEP EXTRA VERT OPTA-VERT Invert Emulsion System for IO, LAO, LMO, IP and LP HTHP Invert Emulsion System Deepwater Invert Emulsion System Ester based NAF NAF Drill-In Fluid

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Scomi Oiltools NAF Products

CONFI-MUL CONFI-GEL CONFI-WET CONFI-TROL CONFI-TEC CONFI-THIN CONFI-MOD Emulsifier Organophilic Bentonite Oil-wetting agent Fluids loss control agent Economical Primary Emulsifier Thinner for SBM Low-end rheology viscosifier

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