SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND PERFORMANCE OF CALCIUM CARBONATE PARTICLES AS AN ADDITIVE IN WATER-BASED DRILLING FLUIDS APPLIED TO UNCONVENTIONAL FORMATIONS

YURANY A.VILLADA-VILLADA; CARLOS BUSATTO; CASIS, NATALIA; ESTENOZ, DIANA ALEJANDRA

Congreso; 4° Congreso Latinoamericano de Terminación y Producción; 2021

IAPG

Drilling operation is a common and important process in the exploitation of hydrocarbons. The design and formulation of a proper drilling fluid are essential for a successful operation. Drilling muds serve several functions: provide hydrostatic pressure to protect invasion of the wellbore by formation fluids; promote sealing of porous formation; prevent damage of the formation; clean, cool and lubricate the bit and other components; allow the suspension and mobility of drilling cuttings from subsurface to surface; and ensure well stability (Zakaria et al., 2012). In the recent years, the use of nanoparticles has received a significant attention due to their effects on the rheological and filtration properties of water-based fluids (WBMs), the stability of the shale, the well strengthening, and the stability of fluids under hard conditions (high temperature and high pressure) (Rafati, et al., 2018). In this work, the use of CaCO3 as additive of WBMs for unconventional ?shale? formations was investigated. CaCO3 particles were synthesized by the precipitation method and were evaluated as rheological modifiers, filtration loss control agent, and shale inhibitor. The study included: i) the synthesis and characterization of CaCO3 particles; ii) the design of WBMs employing different viscosifier agents (xanthan gum, guar gum and espina corona gum); and iii) the assessment of the effect of CaCO3 particles on the main functional properties of WBMs. The use of CaCO3 particles as additive in WBMs is a promising alternative because of their environmentally friendly nature and low synthesis costs. The investigation supports that CaCO3 particles can be used as a viscosifier and filtration loss control additive in WBMs improving rheological, filtration, thermal and structural properties. In particular, fluids containing xanthan gum and CaCO3 particles exhibited significant improvements of their functional properties. This behavior was related with the specific polymer characteristics (structure, rheological and thermal properties, morphology, and surface characteristics), as well as its interaction with bentonite (BT). For all evaluated systems, the filtrate volume was reduced with the addition of particles. In particular, for WBMs containing xanthan gum the filtrate volume decreased from 14 to 10 mL, indicating that CaCO3 particles are a good filtration agent. This technology could eventually be applied in other shale formations and hydraulic fracturing fluids.