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Introduction
WereceivedarequesttoformulateaPotassiumFormate/Micromaxcompletionfluidat16ppg&4250f.Thisfluid
wasintendedtoreplaceCesiumFormatebrineusedonHPHTcompletions.
ThesuccessfulresultsofthistestingbyElkemhavebeencompleted.SubsequenttothisthecustomeraskedElkemto
formulateaPotassiumFormate/Micromaxdrillingfluid,againat16ppg&4250f.Thetestingforthishasalsobeen
successfullycompleted.
Theresultsofthesuccessfulformulationsarepartofthisreport.Alsoincludedaredescriptionsoftheprocessby
whichweobtainedourresults,theproblemswehad&ourrecommendations(intheattachedappendix)for
successfullytestingofpotassiumformatefluidsathightemperatures.
CompletionFluid
Therequirementsforthiswerefora16ppgfluidstableto4250ffor14days&withminimalsag.Theresultant
formulationissimple,usingminimumadditivestoproduceacompletionfluidwithnorequirementforfluidloss,but
withminimalsag.
Asepiolite,PangelHV,wasusedtoprovideextrasuspension&adispersant,ESMD2,wasusedasadeflocculantto
preventflocculationoragglomerationduringsustainedhightemperatureaging.Theresultswithminimalsag,even
after14daysstaticat4240f,areshownbelowinTable1:
Table116ppgPotassiumFormate/MicromaxCompletionFluid
Additives in order of addition
Mixing Time
Conc in gram
Conc in gram
650
650
650
0.35
8
4
268
16.0
0.35
8
4
268
16.0
0,35
8
4
268
16.0
5
5
5
10
BSHA
62
39
31
23
12
11
23
16
18
21
9
ASHA
7 days
4240f
93
68
58
45
25
23
25
43
20
21
12.88
0
2.15
2.20
0.506
BSHA
62
39
31
23
12
11
23
16
18
21
9
ASHA
10 days
4240f
124
94
81
67
45
40
30
64
25
26
13.0
0
1.91
1.95
0.505
Conc in gram
BSHA
62
39
31
23
12
11
23
16
18
21
9
ASHA
14 days
4240f
130
92
79
63
37
34
38
54
26
26
12,2
0
1,98
2,08
0,512
DrillingFluid
Therequirementsforthepotassiumformate/Micromaxdrillingfluidwerefor16ppg@4250fwithlow,upperend
rheologytoprovidelowECDs,minimalsag&anHPHTfluidlossof<30ml.Whilsttheformulationforacompletion
fluidprovedquitestraightforward,thecreationofarobustformulationforadrillingfluidwasmorecomplex.This
wasforthefollowingreasons:
Thedrillingfluidrequiresfluidlosscontrolatca4250f.Therearefewadditivesavailabletosuccessfully
managefluidlosscontrolatthishightemperature
Thecompletionfluidrequiredsimplecontrolofchemicalstability&sag.
Testingformatefluidsatultrahightemperaturesraisesanumberofissues,whicharedescribedbelow
Extensivetestingwasdonetoprovidearobustformulationmeetingthecustomersrequirements.Wediscovered
thatacombinationofDristemp(anAMPSderivative)&PACLVtogetherwithCaCO3(20)providedacontrollable&
stablefluidloss.Nootherfluidlossadditivesareneeded.Othersuchadditivesweretested&failedeitherbecause
theydegradedatsuchhightemperaturesorbecausetheysaltedout.TheuseofESMD2,Elkemsproprietory
deflocculant,wasalsorequiredtostabilisetherheologyatsuchhightemperatures.
ThesuccessfultestresultsareshowninTable2.
Table216ppgPotassiumFormate/MicromaxDrillingFluid
Additives in order of addition
Mixing
Time mins
Conc in gram
Conc in gram
Conc in gram
Water
0 WB
187.5
187.5
187.5
PAC LV
5 WB
4.0
Dristemp
5 WB
16.0
16
16
Pangel HV
5 WB
6.0
2 WB/ Silv
480.0
480
480
2 Silv
427.5
427.5
427.5
CaCO3 20
5 Silv
18.8
18.8
18.8
Soda Ash
2 Silv
0.5
0.5
ESM D2
2 Silv
6.0
15 Silv
437.5
BSHA
ASHA
20HRS
@
392 F
Micromax
Heat Aged
BSHA
437.5
ASHA
20HRS
@
392 F
ASHA
16HRS
@
420 F
BSHA
437.5
ASHA
ASHA
16HRS
30HRS
@
@
392 F
392 F
ASHA
30HRS
@
420 F
600 rpm
71
59
71
68
53
75
88
117
85
300 rpm
41
35
42
40
30
45
50
70
48
200 rpm
31
26
33
38
21
32
35
48
35
100 rpm
20
16
20
20
12
20
18
24
20
6 rpm
3 rpm
PV @ 120F, cP ( 50 C )
30
24
29
28
23
30
38
47
37
YP, lb/100ft2
11
11
13
12
15
12
23
11
2.5
15
54
46
14
10
44
20
12
4.5
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
pH
10.3
10.9
9.3
11.46
11.87
9.12
11.31
11.4
11.5
Descriptionof&RecommendationsforTestingaPotassiumFormateFluidatHighTemperature
Formulating&testingsaturatedpotassiumformatefluids,especiallyatultrahightemperatures,presentcertain
issuesnotseeninotherwaterbasefluids:
a) Potassiumformateisextremelysolubleinwateratupto77%w/w.Thisresultsinleavinglittlefreewaterto
dissolveadditives.Accordingly,whenaddingaproductrequiringsolubilisation,suchasafluidlosscontrol
polymer(Dristemp,Kemsealetc),sufficienttime&energyisneededtoallowdissolutiontotakeplace.Oneof
theconsequencesofagingathightemperaturemaybethatthesepolymerssaltout,evenifproperly
dissolvedpriortoaging.Therefore,theuseofcertainpolymersmayprovetobeimpossibleabovecertain
concentrationsathightemperature.Whenintendingtouseasaturatedpotassiumformatefluiditis
recommendedto:
I.
II.
III.
Prehydratepolymersinwater
Addsaturatedpotassiumformatebrine
Addpowderedpotassiumformatetobringtheresultingfluiduptosaturationwrtpotassium
formate
Nondissolvingadditivessuchassepiolite(PangelHV),Micromax,CaCO3etcdonotrequireprehydration,but
doneedsufficientsheartoproperlydisperse.
b) ThenaturalpHofsaturatedpotassiumformatebrineisalkaline.Thebrineusedinthisstudywasaround10.
Thepotassiumformatepowderwasstronglyalkalinewhenaddedtothefluidtosaturateit.Without
treatmentthiswouldresultinpHvaluesof>11bothbefore&afteraging.Topreventhydrolysisofadditivesit
isrecommendedtoreducethepHusingformicacid,beforeaging,toca9.5.Furthertreatmentafteraging
maybenecessary
c) DespitereducingthepHbeforeagingitisrecommendedtobufferthefluidwithNa2CO3orNaHCO3.The
reasonforthisistomaintainanequilibriumawayfromdecompositionoftheformate
d) Formatesdodecomposeathightemperature,butthereisamuchgreaterdegreeofdecompositionunderlab
testingthanoccursinthefield.CabotinboththeirFormateManuals&inconversationhaveexplainedthe
largedifferencebetweenresultsachievedinlabtesting&thoseachievedinthefield.Essentially,labresults
showmoredecomposition&corrosion,whichtheyhavenotseenoccurringinthefield.Theyattributethisto
thefollowing:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
FormatedecompositiontoCO,CO2orH2isanequilibriumprocess
TestcellscontainheadspacegassuchasN2,CO2orairinamuchhigherproportiontothat
experiencedinawell.Thislargeramountofgasleadstomoredecompositionbecausethe
reactiongasesescapeintotheheadspace&delayequilibriumbeingreached
Labtestingisconductedatlowpressure(100sofPSI).HPHTwellsareathighpressure
(thousandsofPSI)&equilibriumisreachedearlier.Higherpressurerestrictsdecomposition
Labtestcellsaremadeofstainlesssteelalloyscontaininge.g.nickel,whichactascatalystsin
thepotassiumformatedecompositionreaction
Wellscontaintubularscoveredincorrosionproductssuchasmillscale,whichpoisonsuch
catalyticactivity
Insummary,labderivedfiguresformaximumoperatingtemperaturesaresignificantlyexceededinthe
field&thetemperaturelimitsofusingpotassiumformatesshouldnotbebasedonmostofthelabwork
previouslyconducted.TestsdonebytheWoodsHoleInstusingspecialequipmentdeterminedthat:
3
Thedecompositionofformatebrineswill,underrealistichydrothermalconditions,reach
equilibriumrelativelysoon.
Themajorproductofformatedecompositionisbicarbonate,whichisalreadypresentinformate
brineasacomponentofthepHbuffer.Somecarbonateisalsoformed,whichisthesecondpH
buffercomponent.
Byaddingextracarbonate/bicarbonatebuffertothebrine,itshouldbepossibletoformulatea
thermallystableformatefluid.Suchafluidreachesequilibriumafterjustaveryminordegreeof
decomposition.
e) Becausemoredecompositionoccurswhilsttestinginlabconditions,manytestscanbedifficulttorun
accurately.AtthehightemperaturesappliedheretheproductionofH2&CO2resultedinsignificantfoaming
ofthemudinthetestcell.Suchfoamingcancompromisetestssuchasthesagfactor.Forrheologyorfluid
testingitisbettertoallowthesampletobegentlystirredbeforerunningtheteststopermittheremovalof
theentrainedgases
f) Agingcellsusedtotestformatebrinesaresubjecttocorrosionfromthedecompositionproducts.Therefore,
itisrecommendedtouseTeflonlinersuptoca3900f&glasslinersabovethat
Conclusions
Thetestingofwaterbasefluidsathightemperaturesisadifficultprocess.Manychemicalreactionsareaccelerated&
additivesmaydegradefrome.g.oxidationorhydrolysis.However,itiswellknownthattheuseofformatesextends
thetemperaturerangeofmanypolymers,primarilythroughtheantioxidativenatureoftheformates.However,at
hightemperaturesunderlabconditions,formatefluidsdecomposeatlowertemperaturesthanoccurinthefield.
Thiscausesproblemsineffectivelyformulating&testingsuchfluids.Despitethesedifficultieswehavesuccessfully
formulated&testedbothacompletion&adrillingfluidto16ppg&4200f.Todothiswediscovered:
Astrictprocess(asdetailedabove)needstobefollowedtosuccessfullytestformatesathightemperature
Althoughmanypolymershavetheirtemperatureoperatinglimitssignificantlyextendedinformates,high
concentrationsofsuchpolymersmayresultinthemsaltingoutathightemperature.Therefore,thechoiceof
polymeradditiveisnotobviousfromitschemistry&requirestestingtodetermineitssuitabilityforsuchan
application
Dristemp,PACLV,&CaCO3(20)weretheonlyfluidlossadditivestosuccessfullywork(together)underthe
prescribedconditions
Adeflocculant,ESMD2,isneededtoensurerheologicalstabilityundertheseconditions
Asuccessfulformulationhasbeenachievedmeetingthecustomersrequirements