Engineered Reservoir Drilling Fluid Help Maximize Production in Gulf ofMexico Deepwater Horizontal Well

摘要

A major operator in the Gulf of Mexico(GOM)desired to increase oil production to meet growingenergy demand.To meet this challenge,the operator explored an alternate completion design to mitigatereservoir damage observed in previous producing wells and collaborated with the fluids provider to designa solution to address this concern.The design and solution ultimately applied resulted in"negative skin"with production rates far exceeding historical field rates.Additionally,the operator realized significant costsavings with this change in completion approach by eliminating traditional steps.The development field had its unique challenges with ongoing depletion,wellbore instability risks,andcompartmentalization in the reservoir,making access to thinner oil reservoirs challenging to develop.Thestandard completion approach was to drill with a synthetic-based fluid,perforate the casing,and perform afrac-pack completion.Using technology from another region,the operator elected to change the traditionalcased hole frac-pack approach to drilling horizontally through the reservoir,run production screens,andperform an open hole gravel pack completion.In the fluids design phase,the fluids provider performedhydraulics modeling and laboratory testing on multiple formulations,including brine compatibility withformation water;formation response testing;high-pressure/high-temperature(HPHT)rheology and fluidloss;static age testing for intervals of 16 hours,3 days,and 5 days;and contamination testing with solids,synthetic-based mud,and cement.This paper discusses the methodology used in the design phase required to engineer a reservoir friendlyfluid to meet the challenges faced with this complex well.