New Advancements In Emulsifier Technologies

With increasing wellbore complexity, drilling into more technically demanding areas, and increasing pressure to improve drilling economics, the drivers to improve and optimize drilling fluid performance have never been greater. Invert emulsion fluids are commonly the first choice for drilling fluid due to their high performance, and low risk nature. Invert emulsion fluids typically provide higher drilling rates, improved wellbore stability, higher tolerance to contamination and better lubricity when compared to water-based drilling fluids. In terms of design, the workhorse of an invert emulsion fluid is the emulsification package which works to stabilize the internal brine phase in the external oil phase, assists in maintaining oil wettability of all solids in the fluids, assists in maintaining a degree of filtration control, and assists in basic control over the system rheology properties. The development of greater performing emulsification systems has permitted a significant improvement in the performance, stability, and properties of invert emulsion fluids. Novel emulsification systems that show an improved formulation flexibility across temperature and density (to simplify engineering control), that allow low-viscosity formulations at high internal phase ratios to be achieved (improving economics and environmental compliance), and that allow emulsion stability to be retained at extremes of temperature (>300 Celsius) have all been recently developed. In addition the traditional liquid form of the emulsification package can, in some cases, be replaced with a newly developed solid emulsifier, simplifying logistics, health and safety, and improving environmental compliance. This paper reviews the development and evaluation of these new emulsifier technologies, pointing out both the advantages and shortcomings of each both from a drilling performance standpoint and from an applicability standpoint. The Authors also summarize the field usage of some of these systems