Novel Plant-based Particulate and Fibrous LCM Products for Loss Control while Drilling

摘要

Novel fibrous and particulate loss circulation material (LCM) products of variable mechanical characteristics and chemical composition were developed using physio-mechanical treatment and processing of various waste components of date palm trees, which are available each year as pruning waste, post-crop harvesting waste, waste generated after making cookies and confectioneries, and also the waste arising from the removal of deceased and nonproductive date trees. Experimental tests were conducted using a pore plugging test (PPT) apparatus at a pressure of 500 psi and 1,500 psi, and at a temperature of 250 °F, with a 2 mm slotted disc, demonstrated the efficient sealing and blocking for all of the particulate and fibrous LCM products, either immediately after the application (0 to 10 seconds) of the overbalance pressure or after aperiod of 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the pressure and composition. Some of the LCM products showed an instantaneous sealing capacity after the application of overbalance pressure. Several commercial LCM products were also tested and evaluated using the same concentration and test conditions for comparative assessment of the performance of the newly developed LCM products. Interestingly, all of the new LCM products showed similar or better performance than the equivalent commercial products. Engineered fiber blends developed using the date palm industry waste also showed similar or better performance than the commercial or currently used LCM blends. Experimeinal results aho indicated the suitability of date palm industry waste in replacing some of the synthetic fibers used by the industry in a commercial LCM blend design. All of these experimental results indicate that the date palm industry wastes are potential sources of raw materials for various product development for oil and gas field applications.