CHAPTER
4 Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
Lost-Circulation Materials can be
classified into six types:
Fibrous
Granular
Flaked or platelet
Mixed
High fluid-loss squeezes
Reinforcing plugs
The first four conventional lost-
circulation materials tend to be sup-
plied in three grades Fine, Medium
and Coarse.
Fine materials under most circum-
stances will pass through the shaker
screens and stay in the system.
Medium materials tend to be
screened out, but most likely
will not plug jets or MWD tools.
Coarse materials can plug off every-
thing except open-ended drill pipe.
Material Types
Fibrous: Materials with relatively little
degree of rigidity and are thought to
mat or entangle on the surface or
within a formation that is taking fluid.
Examples: M-I-X II, M-I CEDAR
FIBER, Sawdust and Drilling Paper.
Most of these materials are supplied
in fine, medium and coarse grades.
Granular: Particulate materials of
various degrees of rigidity, rugosity
and size. These materials are able to
bridge and wedge either at the face
of or within formations capable or
taking drilling fluid.
Examples: Calcium Carbonate,
Sized Salt, G-SEAL and Walnut Hulls.
Calcium Carbonate: Different
grades of ground limestone or
ground marble used to prevent seep-
age/partial losses. Being acid soluble,
calcium carbonate often is used to
reduce losses in producing zones.
Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
Other specialty materials are graded
according to particle size or the mesh
opening through which they will
pass. It is important to consult the
product literature prior to using any
lost-circulation materials.
The two other materials available are
high fluid-loss squeezes and rein-
forcing plugs.
Reinforcing plugs are are mixed either
in the slugging pit or re-circulating
mixer and spotted in the hole either
through the bit or open-ended drill
pipe. Reinforcing plugs are classified
as either soft or hard plugs.
Soft plugs have a solid mass, but
tend to have little, if any, compres-
sive strength and form a rubbery
consistency.
Hard plugs have a much higher
compressive strength.
Sized Salt: Various grades of salt,
suspended in salt-saturated solu-
tions. Sized salt is used in pill form
or as a whole system particularly
when drilling or working over pro-
ducing zones. The blocking effect
can be removed by dissolving the
pill with freshwater and acid.
G-SEAL: Graphite supplied in coarse
grind size and may be used in both
water-base and invert-emulsion
drilling fluids. This material has
been applied successfully in curing
both natural and induced losses.
Laboratory and field studies indicate
that G-SEAL promotes fracture heal-
ing properties with invert emulsions.
Normally 10 ppb is carried in the
active drilling fluid system to limit
losses to induced fractures. G-SEAL
has also proven beneficial for block-
ing permeable formations and reduc-
ing the differential sticking potential
of the fluid.
4.1 Revision No: A-0 / Revision Date: 033101
CHAPTER
4 Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
Walnut Hulls: Three grades of
walnut shells are available: fine,
medium and coarse.
Flaked or Platelet: Materials with a
flat, layer-like appearance that may
have limited or no rigidity.
Examples: Mica, Pheno Seal and
Cellophane.
Mica: Can be one of several silicates
of varying chemical composition, but
with similar physical characteristics.
All micas tend to cleave into thin
sheets that are flexible and elastic.
This material comes in three grades:
fine, medium and coarse.
Pheno Seal: A thermoset, laminated,
flaked material. It is provided in
three grades: fine (1190 177),
medium (2000 250) and coarse
(4750 850). This is a very rigid
material and will not degrade as fast
as mica.
Mixed: Materials that are mixes of
fibrous, granular and flaked material
in one sack. These materials offer the
benefits of mixing all three materials
with regards to proper sizing.
Examples: M-I SEAL (medium and
coarse) and Kwikseal (medium and
coarse).
Kwikseal: a combination of granular,
fibrous and flaked in one sack. It is
one of the most widely used LCMs,
especially in water-base drilling fluids.
Although Kwikseal can reduce the
emulsion stability of oil-base drilling
fluids, it has been used to cure losses
in partial or severe situations.
High Fluid-Loss squeezes: When
squeezed into the loss zone this type
of slurry readily dehydrates, allowing
solids to pack the fractures forming a
seal. A typical high fluid-loss slurry
contains a mixture of diatomaceous
earth, bridging agents and barite sus-
pended in either water or oil.
These slurries are good for induced
fractures where external bridging is
not paramount and it is important to
Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
get a high-pressure drop into the frac-
ture. Drilling fluid solids should pro-
vide the necessary fines for bridging.
In low-porosity, fractured formations,
10 lb/bbl of fine fibrous LCM usually is
added. Coarse or granular LCM should
not be added as they may prevent the
diatomaceous earth from entering the
fracture or, if invasion occurs, may act
as a proppant.
Hydrostatic pressure often is enough
to seal the loss zone. A light squeeze
pressure (100 300 psi) may be applied
to open up and then seal fractures,
which otherwise would cause problems
later. The basic slurry or slurry contain-
ing low concentrations of fiber can be
pumped through bit jets.
Examples: Diaseal M
Soft Plugs: This category contains
three sub types polymeric, bentonitic
and chemical treatment.
Example: The polymeric plug includes
cross-linked polymers and sometimes
contains sized particles to help reduce
invasion into the theft zone. The ben-
tonitic plugs are the Gunk Squeezes
(oil/bentonite or water/organophilic
clay) and the chemical treatments con-
sisting of Sodium Silicates or a chemical
reaction with the formation.
FORM-A-SET, FORM-A-SET AK,
FORM-A-PLUG , VERSAPAC: examples
of crosslinking polymer squeezes.
The FORM-A-SET and FORM-A-SET AK
are polymer plugs crosslinked with
Cr+3, which, in turn, crosslinks with
time and temperature. These plugs
are designed with a retarder for for-
mation temperatures over 80F. The
FORM-A-SET plug can be weighted up to
18.0 lb/gal, while the FORM-A-SET AK
plug can be weighted up to 16.0 lb/gal.
Both plugs are thermally stable to
300F. Care should be exercised in or
near the producing interval as they can-
not be degraded and produced back.
Gunk Squeeze and Reverse Gunk
Squeeze are examples of bentonitic
4.2 Revision No: A-0 / Revision Date: 033101
CHAPTER

4 Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials

squeezes. This method employs mate- does not hydrate when contacted by
rials normally readily available on an oil-base drilling fluid.
most drilling locations. The conven-
Sodium Silicate is an example of
tional Gunk Squeeze can be used
chemical treatment plugs. Calcium
with water-base drilling fluids while
chloride is pumped first to wet the
the Reverse Gunk Squeeze can be
rock, followed by sodium silicate and
used with oil-base drilling fluids.
the cement with a freshwater spacer
The treatment is applied by pump-
between all the components. When the
ing the Gunk fluid down the drill pipe
sodium silicate comes in contact with
or tubing to the end of the string. The
the calcium chloride brine it forms a
annulus is closed and pumping of the
gelatinous mass, thus leaving a pad for
treatment is done simultaneously
the cement to set up against. Any
down the drill pipe and the annulus.
unused sodium silicate will then flash
Intermixing of the Gunk fluid and
set with the cement either partially or
the drilling fluid occurs at the end
fully sealing the loss zone.
and below the drill pipe, forming a
The sodium silicate forms a crys-
gelatinous/highly viscous/thick mass,
talline insoluble precipitate of calcium
which is then squeezed into the lost-
silicate and sodium chloride upon
circulation zone.
contact with connate water or the
A Gunk Squeeze lost-circulation treat-
calcium chloride pill that is pumped
ment consists of pumping a mixture
ahead. To form this precipitate, there
of unhydrated clay material (ben-
must be a divalent cation present, usu-
tonite), which rapidly gels/thickens
ally in the form of Ca++ or Mg++. This
when intermixed with the drilling
precipitate remains in situ and stops
fluid. Conventional Gunk Squeeze flu-
the cement from flowing away until it
ids are a mixture of bentonite and
sets. Occurring simultaneously is the
diesel, which rapidly gel when inter-
reaction of the unused sodium silicate
mixed with water-base drilling fluid or
and the cement causing the cement to
some type of brine. Cement often is
flash set at the point of contact.
added to the conventional Gunk mix-
The operational procedures for pump-
ture to provide additional strength to
ing this treatment are critical, as it is
the final Gunk-drilling fluid material.
essential that the cement and sodium
A Reverse Gunk Squeeze fluid is a
silicate are kept separate until they
mixture of an organophilic clay (clay
reach the loss zone.
that is treated to swell in the presence
Hard Plugs: Cement, Oil/Bentonite/
of oil) and water which rapidly gels
Cement and Barite Plug
when intermixed with an oil-base
Cement is a cheap lost-circulation
fluid downhole. The clay/water mix-
material and can be very effective in
ture is squeezed into the formation. At
sealing lost-circulation zones. However,
the same time, the synthetic drilling
it is critical that the treatment be
fluid is pumped down the annulus so
applied properly so the cement is not
the two will mix and cause the clay to
contaminated. The composition of the
swell and form an impermeable zone.
cement can be neat or with different
Although the slurry can be weighted
additives to vary properties such as den-
with barite, this is not recommended
sity, setting time, filtration loss, bridg-
since the effective concentration of
ing capabilities, gel strength and
clay will be reduced by the volume of
compressive strength.
barite added. Cement is not added to
Neat cement slurries are effective for
Reverse Gunk fluids since cement
solving all types of losses and have the

Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials 4.3 Revision No: A-0 / Revision Date: 033101
CHAPTER
4 Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
advantage of providing high final com-
pressive strength. Normally, LCM is
added for partial or total losses with
the size increased as the losses become
more severe. Low-density cement sys-
tems can be used for any type of lost-
circulation problem and as an added
bonus, reduces the hydrostatic pressure.
Slurries normally are formulated with a
limited degree of fluid-loss control and
may contain a mixture of clays or
diatomaceous earth.
Pore pressure should govern the slurry
density, especially for lost-circulation in
fractured or cavernous zones. To use
cement to cure losses in these zones,
a low-density slurry, preferably con-
taining an LCM, should be used for
the first attempt. Once this system has
sealed the larger fractures and voids and
then hardened, a higher density cement
can be pumped to consolidate the first
job and provide additional strength.
Oil/Bentonite/Cement (OBC) is a
hydration-type plug with a high con-
centration of bentonite and cement
mixed into diesel that hydrates when
mixed with water or brine to form a
hard plug. The cement allows the pill to
develop compressive strength over time.
The ratio of bentonite and cement can
be varied to alter the final compressive
strength.
The final strength of Oil/Bentonite/
Cement (OBC) is determined by the
pumping ratio of OBC down the drill-
string, drilling fluid pumped concur-
rently down the annulus, and the
bentonite-to-cement ratio. The starting
ratio of the fluid to OBC is usually 4:1
and produces progressively firmer plugs
as the ratio of fluid to OBC decreases to
1:3. The 4:1 ratio mix will produce a
highly viscous fluid, while the 1:3 ratio
mixes into a semi-soft to hard plug.
Oil/Bentonite/Cement is applicable
for lost returns where more conven-
tional lost-circulation materials have
failed. OBC can be used with freshwater
Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials
and saltwater fluid systems (chlorides
less than 50,000 ppm). If the chloride
content of the drilling fluid exceeds
50,000 ppm, it is recommended to use a
1:1 blend of attapulgite and bentonite
to reduce chloride sensitivity.
Barite/Hematite Plugs are an effec-
tive means of sealing off active borehole
sections in extreme or emergency situa-
tions. They can be inserted to provide
an immovable sealing column through
either settling or dehydration, thereby
preventing further formation fluid intru-
sion into the wellbore. Hereafter, barite
and hematite plugs will be referred to
as "wellbore plugs". Thus, a wellbore
plug is a slurry comprising either barite,
hematite or both with a carrier that can
be either water, diesel oil, mineral oil,
or synthetic oil. The slurry is designed
for rapid weight-material settlement,
forming a hard pack.
The primary application of a well-
bore plug is in a well-control situation
where the well is kicking from a lower
zone and simultaneously losing circu-
lation to an upper zone. There are
other special circumstances where
wellbore plugs may be utilized. The
settling rate of wellbore plugs can be
affected by several factors such as den-
sity, contaminants in the make-up
water, variations in weight material,
pH, type of dispersant, and the addi-
tion of surfactants.
The settling rate of a weight material-
water slurry is inversely proportional
to the density of the slurry. The high
concentration of solids and gel
strengths means high-density slurries
settle more slowly than low-density
slurries. The optimum barite slurry
weight is between 14.0 lb/gal and
16.0 lb/gal, but the barite slurry can
be weighted up to 22.0 lb/gal. When
hematite is used as the weighting
agent, the optimum slurry weight is
16.0 lb/gal to 18.0 lb/gal.
4.4 Revision No: A-0 / Revision Date: 033101