Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Abdulaziz Salah Bubshait

Md Amanullah

Turki Thuwaini Mohammed Alsubaie

Omar A Fuwaires

Omar Abdulwahab Al-Fuwaires

Vikrant Bhavanishankar Wagle

Abdullah Saleh Hussain Al-Yami

Ali Mohammed Hussain Al Safran

John Timothy Allen

Faramak Almassi

Ziad Abdullrahman Saleh AlAbdullatif

Darrell W Foreman

Clayton L Miller

Turki Thuwaini Alsubaie

A method of conversion of a water-based mud to a gel-based LCM quickly to control lost circulation in a lost circulation zone in a wellbore during continuous drilling with a drilling mud, the drilling mud comprises a volcanic ash, water, a de-foamer, a pH buffer, and a polymer. The method comprises the steps of entering the lost circulation zone, determining a lost circulation volumetric flow rate, metering a first amount of a binder into the drilling mud to create a binder containing mud, pumping the binder containing drilling mud into the wellbore, and suspending metering of the first amount of the binder to the drilling mud after a pre-defined regulating period of time effective to permit the binder containing drilling mud to create a gel-based LCM operable to alter the lost circulation zone.

Method of conversion of a drilling mud to a gel-based lost circulation material to combat lost circulation during continuous drilling

A method includes adding a clay to water to form a suspension of clay in water, the clay including pieces of clay having an average diameter of at least 2 &#x3bc;m; adding a dispersant to the suspension of clay in water to form a drilling fluid; and injecting the drilling fluid into a well. In the drilling fluid, the dispersant interacts with the clay to form nanoscale particles of clay having an average diameter of less than 500 nm.

In situ generation of nano-clay drilling fluid

Some examples of producing water-based drilling fluids including ecofriendly lubricating additives are described. A raw material oil including fatty acids with a short chain alcohol is esterified in the presence of a catalyst to produce alkyl ester products and triglycerides. The alkyl ester products are washed and heated to remove any residual water or the short chain alcohol. A first quantity of the alkyl ester products is mixed with a second quantity of a water-based wellbore drilling fluid.

Ecofriendly lubricating additives for water-based wellbore drilling fluids

Drilling mud compositions and related methods are provided as embodiments of the present invention. The drilling mud compositions are water-based and contain volcanic ash. The compositions and methods of the present invention provide improved properties relative to tolerance of high salt content, cement, lime, and temperatures.

Volcanic ash-based drilling mud to overcome drilling challenges

Methods and apparatuses are provided for testing and quantifying structural durability characteristics of bridging materials. Embodiments include sieving bridging materials to create uniform batches having particles within a predefined range. Embodiments further include selecting a batch and drying the batch, separating the dried batch into dry samples, and selecting a test sample having an initial mass. Embodiments include sealing the test sample, a volume of liquid, and a rod in a cylindrical testing cell and rotating the cylindrical testing cell containing the rod such that the rod rolls in relation to an inner wall of the cylindrical testing cell and applies force partially crushing the test sample. Embodiments further include sieving a resulting sample to create a durable sample having particles within the predefined range and drying the durable sample. Embodiments of methods further include measuring a mass of the dried durable sample to define a durable mass and comparing the durable mass to the initial mass.

Method and apparatus for quality control and quality assurance of sized bridging materials used in drill-in fluid formulation

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Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Abdulaziz Salah Bubshait