Improvement of drilling fluid capability by using natural loss circulation material (LCM)

Abstract

The problem of loss circulation has occurred during drilling operation through natural or induced fracture. In Heglig area, Bamboo field exactly Amal formation has low cementing material in addition to high porosity (massive, well sorted, white sand stone), this lead it to fracture under any pressure above pore pressure. The type of loss at that area was partial loss about 400bbl/hr, this problem had solved by using CaCO3. The objective of this project is to investigate the performance of three natural materials (mica, Azadirachta indica (neem) and balanites aegypytiaca (lalob)) as powder to solve the problem. Also to design local product with international standards that participate in oil industry, Minimize the quantity of barite used in mud design, prevent the occurrence of loss circulation events in the area of study and solve the LCM scarcity problem. After resultant daily mud report from two different wells in order to determine the properties of drilling mud, the drilling mud prepared in the lab and simulated its properties and tested by API filtration. The three materials were grinded in powder form and screened to chemical one of Neem and Lalob. Then they tested by XRD to know the crystalline construction of Mica and chemical one of Neem and Lalob. After that they added to the mud and tested by API filtration, firstly each one alone to get minimum filtrate, secondly mixture of them to determine their percentages of any one in the last form of LCM and test the ability of them to use as LPM, all these tests without changing in the rheological properties of the drilling mud. After that poured the LCM in the loss circulation device to get the optimum weight that can be used to solve the problem. Finally the optimum weight has been reached