Abstract
Production of hydrocarbons from conventional, as well as unconventional resources, is becoming increasingly more difficult and expensive. Drilling fluid stability and performance in deeper, high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) formations are still problematic, even for environmentally safer synthetic fluids.
Recent research has demonstrated that nano fluids have attractive properties for applications where heat transfer, drag reduction, formation consolidation, gel formation, wettability alteration, and corrosive control are of interest.
Nano fluids can be designed by adding nano-sized particles in low volumetric fractions to a fluid. The nano particles modify the fluid properties, and suspensions of nano-sized particles can provide numerous advantages. Nano-sized particles can impart sedimentary, thermal, optical, mechanical, electrical, rheological, and/or magnetic properties to a base material that can enhance its performance.
This paper presents an extensive literature review to assess the application of nanotechnology in drilling and completion applications and evaluates the potential technical and economic benefits that this technology might provide to the industry.
