Drilling the U-formation (shale and sandstone) in Saudi Arabia requires high drilling fluid density (±95 lbm/ft 3 ) to mechanically stabilize the shale and balance the reservoir pressure. Two fluids have been used to drill this formation: KCl/BaSO 4 /CaCO 3 and potassium formate/CaCO 3 drilling fluids. Barite is added in the first fluid with CaCO 3 to reduce the amount of solids needed to formulate the drillin fluid. However, BaSO 4 is insoluble in acids and requires chelating agents (DTPA) to remove it from the formation. Formate drill-in fluids with low solids content can be used, but they are expensive and corrosive at pH values less than 7-8. A third drilling fluid was developed recently by Al-Yami et al. (2007) to overcome some of the problems associated with these two systems.The objectives of this study are to determine solids invasion and damage characteristics for the three fluids. Coreflood tests were conducted using reservoir cores at bottomhole conditions. The cores were then examined by environmental-scanning-electronmicroscope (ESEM) analysis to investigate solids invasion, solids type, and location of damage.The three drilling fluids examined did damage the core plugs either through external filter cake, internal filter cake, or both. The ESEM images showed that the least damage occurred when Mn 3 O 4 water-based drill-in fluid was used. The highest damage was observed when barite/CaCO 3 mud was examined. This was followed by the potassium formate drill-in fluids. Kaolinite booklets were not attacked by the filtrate of the three drill-in fluids examined. The damage that was noted with potassium formate mud resulted from incompatibility of mud filtrate with the formation brine where potassium chloride crystals were noted in the cores.

UV‐curable, novel, fluorinated polyether ether ketone urethane acrylate oligomer (FPEEKUA) has been synthesized and used as corrosion‐protector in sol–gel hybrid coatings for metallic substrates. Incorporation of FPEEKUA and sol–gel in the formulations improved coatings’ physical properties such as gel content, hardness, adhesion, gloss, flexibility, and contact angle. Due to strong interaction between acrylate and highly crosslinked structures, mechanical properties improved drastically with homogenously dispersed structures throughout the organic matrix, while water uptake values decreased and thermal stability and char yields increased. Highest contact angle values were measured up to 94° with shinny coatings. The results are important for two reasons. First, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) immiscibility problem are overcome by using reactive oligomer and benefitted from high performance properties of poly(arylene ether ketones) (PAEK)s in hybride coating applications. Second, Coatings combine the advantages of sol–gel with poly(arylene ether ketone urethane acrylate) (PAEKUA) oligomer and they can be used as barrier coatings in metal corrosion protection. Performance tests in corrosive mediums at room temperature of chlorine solution (bleach) for 24 h and also in a 10 wt% HCl solution for 92 h produced promising results for use in corrosion mitigation applications in highly corrosive downstream oil and gas industry. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E146–E154, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

Drilling the U-formation (shale and sandstone) in Saudi Arabia requires high mud density (± 95 pcf) to mechanically stabilize the shale and balance the reservoir pressure. Two fluids have been used to drill this formation: KCl/ BaSO4/ CaCO3 and potassium formate/CaCO3. Barite is added in the first fluid with CaCO3 to reduce the amount of solids needed to formulate the drill-in fluid. However, BaSO4 is insoluble in acids and requires chelating agents (DTPA) to remove it from the formation. Formate drill-in fluids with low solid content can be used, but they are expensive and corrosive at pH values less than 7–8. A third drilling fluid was recently developed by Al-Yami et al (2007) to overcome some of the problems associated with these two systems. The objective of this study is to determine solids invasion and damage characteristic for the three fluids. Core flood tests were conducted using reservoir cores at bottom hole conditions. Then the cores were examined by ESEM analysis to determine solids invasion, and characteristics of damage. The three drilling fluids examined did damage the core plugs either through external, internal filter cake, or both. The ESEM images showed that the least damage and minimum solids invasion occurred when Mn3O4 water-based drill-in fluid use tested. The highest damage was observed when barite/CaCO3 mud was examined. This was followed by the potassium formate drill-in fluids. Kaolinite booklets were not attacked by the filtrate of the three drill-in-fluids examined. The damage noted with potassium formate mud was due to incompatibility of mud filtrate with the formation brine where potassium chloride crystals was noted in the core. Introduction There are six scenarios that drilling fluids can cause damage to the formation (Bishop, 1997):Fluid-fluid incompatibilities, for example emulsions generated between invading oil based-mud filtrate and formation water.Rock-fluid incompatibilities, for example contact of potentially swelling smectite clay or deflocculatable kaolinite clay by non-equilibrium aqueous fluids with the potential to severely reduce near wellbore permeability.Solids invasion, for example the invasion of weighting agents or drilling cuttings.Phase trapping/blocking, for example the invasion and entrapment of water-based fluids in the near wellbore region of gas wells. Chemical adsorption/wettability alternation, for example emulsifier adsorption changes the wettability and fluid flow characteristics in the critical near wellbore area.Fines migration, for example the internal movement of fine particulates within a rock's pore structure resulting in bridging and plugging of pore throats.Biological activity, for example the introduction of bacteria into the formation during drilling and the subsequent generation of slimes, which reduce permeability.

The Research and Development Center (R&DC) of Saudi Aramco has developed new application in ultrasound technology to support the huge networks of crude oil and gas processing facilities, including items of equipment running 24/7.Gas turbines are playing a vital role in supplying energy to different facilities within the companies and they need complex air filtration systems to operate at high speeds and prevent turbine section components from erosion, fouling, and corrosion. Saudi Aramco's plants have a large number of energy producing gas turbines and the frequent air filter replacement program has become so expensive, that consequently, it has attracted the attention of the plant management to find an appropriate solution for cost reduction.R&DC of Saudi Aramco has completed an extensive investigative study to design and examine ultrasonic (sound waves) technology as a practical, easy-to-apply, and cost-effective cleaning procedure to remove the dust and dirt to maximize the lifetime of the air filters. Experimentally, high frequency sound is passed through a cleaning solution, providing waves of high and low pressure. Microscopic bubbles are produced, which implode almost immediately, bringing the cleaning fluid into contact with the surface being cleaned with great force, thereby breaking down dirt particles and cleaning the surface. Using sonic cleaning, it has been found that the filters are not only cleaned from dust and dirt but also from organic materials without affecting the physical integrity of the air filter.This technical paper benchmarks a technology that has been established to reuse more than 10,000 air filters, which are usually discarded companywide each year. Implementing this technology would not only result in operational cost savings, but also would contribute to the reduction of the local and global environmental impact.

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe wettability of rocks is of critical importance in understanding reservoir dynamics. Several studies of wettability evaluation on Saudi Aramco reservoir rocks were reported, but to our knowledge, none of them have attempted to study wettability on the pore scale level. In this study wettability evaluation of carbonate rock samples of Saudi Aramco reservoirs were investigated using environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The data obtained gives access to the distribution of oil and water in relation with mineral interface which can not be observed by normal techniques. It also improves the understanding of rock/fluid interaction.In this study preserved rock samples from two distinct reservoirs (Arab-C and Shu'aiba) were used. The mineralogical analysis showed that the predominant minerals were calcite and dolomite in both samples. Determination of wettability using ESEM method is very cost effective. It is unlike other traditional methods. It doesn't use any chemical or even generate by-products; it is not time-consuming and provides better quality data at much lower cost.