Foam is one of the most frequently-used lightened fluids in underbalanced drilling applications. However, the rheological characterization of foam remains a difficult and challenging task largely due to problems associated with problems associated with the accurate determination of rheological parameters. Foam flow tests were conducted using an experimental flow loop which consisted of a set of smooth pipes of various diameters. Foams generated from different surfactants and different generation techniques were characterized from the texture and bubble size point of view using digital image processing. This paper outlines the approach taken to relate the foam rheological parameters obtained from the flow loop tests with its bubble size and texture.
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