Hollow-Glass Sphere Application in Drilling Fluids: Case Study

Abstract

In an effort to continuously optimize drilling operations and economics, an operator examined the impact of adding hollow-glass spheres (HGS) directly to the drilling fluid formulation instead of performing underbalanced drilling operations. Both nitrogen and HGS were believed to reduce hydrostatic pressure of the mud column in the hole, resulting in higher drilling rates of penetration (ROP) and fewer mud losses to the wellbore.Invert emulsion fluid was blended with HGS on three drilling rigs using a specialized, environmentally acceptable mixing system to help reduce density. HGS concentration and fluid density were monitored and maintained while drilling over the period of one to three weeks for these three wells. The proper type of centrifuge and its setup is fundamental to maintaining low-gravity solids (LGS) at an acceptable level for proper fluid management while maintaining the desired concentration of HGS.Drilling mud density was reduced, as expected, and mud loss was minimized as a result. Overall costs were reduced because of less invert emulsion fluid loss, a reduction in the amount of lost-circulation material mixed compared to previous wells in the area, and less time spent on the drilling rig attributed to not having to stop to mix lost-circulation material or prepare new invert emulsion fluid volumes to replace losses. A significant ROP increase was not observed during this trial. The addition of HGS is a cost-effective solution to help reduce fluid loss in the Kakwa field of the Western Canadian Sedimentary basin. This trial helped reduce overall rig time, and fluid loss experienced was less than in previous wells in which this technology was not used.This paper provides information on HGS as an economic alternative to nitrogen to help reduce the hydrostatic pressure of invert emulsion drilling fluids using a small-footprint, environmentally acceptable mixing system.

Glass Microspheres

“…Despite the low levels of conductive metal presence on the coated particles, it is still enough to supply useful functionality. An Ag coating thickness of 50 to 100 nanometres on a 20 μ sphere is satisfactory to allow passage of an electrical current through a coat of paint into which the particles have been formulated at 30 % by volume [34,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45].…”

“…This product line was especially designed for photo-catalytic water treatment. Photospheres can be used, collected and re-used, making it an environmentally friendly and efficient product [40,48].…”

Glassy Microspheres for Energy Applications

“…One of the ways hollow glass microspheres (HGM) help us to reduce energy consumption is their use in oil and gas drilling and extraction operations. In fact, HGM have good rolling characteristics, which can significantly improve the drilling performance; moreover, drilling fluids with HGMs exhibit high temperature resistance, high pressure resistance, stability, and durability, also inducing a longer lifetime of the drilling equipment [ 60 , 61 ]. The energy-saving applications of HGM, however, are particularly relevant in the construction sector, since the residential energy consumption is continuously increasing, especially due to the poor insulation of many buildings and to air conditioning, which in some cases can account for over 50% of the total electricity consumption of the building.…”

Investigation of Stability of Hollow Glass Spheres in Fluids and Cement Slurries for Potential Field Applications in Saudi Arabia

“…The strengths of HGS range from 2,000 to 18,000 psi, with true densities between 0.29 and 0.63 gm/cc and particle size range between 1 and 100 m. With the use of HGS, the density of a water-based fluid can be reduced down to 41.0 pcf. Drilling fluids can be formulated with an upper limit of 40 vol% HGS while maintaining suitable rheology and mud characteristics (Minhas et al 2015). The rheological properties of HGS based fluids are similar to the conventional fluids and can be calculated through Einstein's viscosity model (Kutlu 2013).…”