Optimized Solids Control Provides Opportunities for Drilling Depleted Reservoirs

摘要

Experience has shown that adding suitable particles to drilling fluid can improve formation strength. This is beneficial when drilling wells with a narrow operational window, as is the case when drilling depleted reservoirs. Successful operations have used several types of particles, including graphite and calcium carbonate (CaCO3). For this approach to work, it is important to establish an optimal particle composition in the drilling fluid. The full-length paper details an offshore operation where coarse shaker screens were used to allow relatively large particles to re-enter the well during circulation. The monitoring equipment allowed close control of the particle-size distribution (PSD) of the drilling fluid flowing into and out of the well during drilling.