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

Al-Yami, Abdullah; Alawami, Mohammed; Wagle, Vikrant

doi:10.2118/175189-ms

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) can be used as an additive to drilling fluid. HGS is a sphericalshaped filler material that possesses properties such as low density in the range of 0.29 to 0.63 gr/cm 3 , high-temperature resistance, high compressive strength value in the range of 2,000 to 18,000 psi, homogeneous and dimensional-stable [1]. HGS as a drilling fluid additive was initially researched by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1990s [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…HGS as a drilling fluid additive was initially researched by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1990s [2]. HGS can reduce the drilling fluid density down to 5.5 ppg [1] . Application of HGS in drilling fluid can reduce the lost circulation rate from 100 bbl/hr to 6 bbl/hr [3], while the differential sticking [4], formation damage issues, and other possible downhole issues are eliminated [2]…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Manufacture Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) in University Laboratory Scale (Phase 1)

Marbun

Pande

Sinaga

et al. 2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) can be used as an additive of drilling fluid to decrease the density and hydrostatic pressure without changing the chemistry characteristic to make underbalanced drilling condition. HGS is relatively easier to be mixed with the fluid without complicated equipment, can prevent formation damage, and can improve oil and gas production. There are various HGS commercial products that have been developed in the industry for various purposes with a density range 0.125-1.1 gr/cm3, grain size range 2-120 μm, and compressive strength up to 200 MPa. HGS has been successfully used in underbalanced drilling operation in several oil and gas fields in Indonesia. HGS costs less than UBD and the application shows good results with the improvement of oil and gas production. However, the cost of commercial HGS products in the market is very expensive. Petroleum Engineering Study Program Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) performed the HGS research in three phases. The first phase reported in this paper was to manufacture HGS in the university laboratory scale. HGS was manufactured based on various chemical compositions and temperature and time variation of the burning process. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed to identify and characterize the raw chemical material and manufactured HGS. HGS was successfully manufactured with the following characteristics: low density (<0.8 gr/cm3) and low grain size (20-40 μm). These characteristics show that HGS can compete with commercial industry HGS products that have been successfully used in the underbalanced drilling operation. The second phase is to scale-up manufacture HGS from university laboratory scale to industrial scale. The third phase is to test the manufactured HGS with drilling fluid according to the American Petroleum Institute (API) Spec. 13A and API Spec. 13B-1.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacture Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) in University Laboratory Scale (Phase 1)

Marbun

Pande

Sinaga

et al. 2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Investigation of The Reliability of Hollow Glass Spheres as a Density Reduction Agent for Drilling Fluids under Physical Impact Forces Simulating Drilling Conditions

AlBahrani

Al-Yami

Amanullah

2016

Day 2 Tue, November 08, 2016

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The use of hollow glass spheres (HGS) is emerging as a leading solution for reducing the density of drilling fluids. With the continuous depletion of reservoirs, the presence of naturally fractured formations, and high permeability formations, the need for low-density drilling fluids is greater than ever. Gases are commonly used to bring the density of water-based drilling fluids below that of water. HGS is an incompressible alternative that has proven to be capable of eliminating deployment complications of gases while achieving satisfactory results. There is a need to examine the behavior of HGS drilling fluids overtime under downhole drilling conditions that include high temperature (HT), high pressure (HP), and, most importantly, physical impact forces associated with the attrition effect of downhole tools and equipment. The purpose of this study is to monitor the degradation and behavior of HGS drilling fluids while being subjected to conditions simulating a downhole drilling environment. A major part of the downhole environment is the physical impact forces resulting from the interaction of the drilling fluid with the circulation system components. A specially designed experiment was employed to investigate the crushing effect of the downhole drilling components on the glass spheres. As there are different pressure ratings of HGS available, the results of the experiment provide a measure of the reliability of HGS for specific operations. The experimental procedure was designed with a focus on the Wasia formation considering that its pore pressure falls in the range 51-58 lb/ft3. Therefore, the HGS fluids were subjected to HPHT degradation periods in a hot rolling oven with the addition of a destructive element to the dynamic aging cell. The degradation period duration is approximated to be similar to that typically required for drilling through Wasia. The results showed that certain ratings of HGS can degrade significantly enough for the drilling fluid to gain up to 14 lb/ft3 in density. The magnitude of this failure in HGS means that selecting the wrong rating has the potential to put the well under substantial risk. The potential drilling troubles due to this failure include significant loss of circulation, formation damage, reduction in rate of penetration (ROP), aquifer water contamination, and stuck pipe.

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An Overview of Experimental Studies Examining the Reliability of Hollow Glass Spheres as a Density Reduction Agent in Oil Field Applications

AlBahrani

Wagle

Al-Yami

2017

SPE Middle East Oil &Amp; Gas Show and Conference

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Hollow glass spheres (HGS) present a novel solution and a practical tool for the drilling industry. HGS can function as a density reduction agent for various types of fluids and slurries used in drilling. A major advantage of HGS is that they are an inert additive to drilling fluids and slurries that can perform their function without affecting other properties of the composition. Another advantage is that the field application of HGS require no extra equipment for maintaining compressibility or extra training for rig personnel. These attributes are vital when drilling using techniques such as underbalanced drilling or managed pressure drilling. HGS are also extremely beneficial for drilling through depleted or naturally fractured formations. In spite of these positives, HGS are still considered as newcomers for drilling applications and they still require an extensive investigation of their ability and reliability to perform as density reduction agents. A wide range experimental and theoretical study was conducted to examine the performance of HGS from different aspects. Theoretically, HGS should perform their function as drilling fluids density reduction agents readily. Consequently, the downhole environment can present a grueling challenge to HGS as it can subject them to elevated temperatures, elevated pressures, a wide range of chemical environments, and a wide range of dynamic and physical interactions. This highlights that there is a necessity to examine HGS in terms of their chemical, mechanical, and thermal stabilities before confidently employing them in the oilfield applications. To achieve this, a comprehensive set of experimental procedures and theoretical studies were performed. The overview of the results of the experimental and theoretical studies showed that HGS performance can significantly vary based on the environment they experience. For theaspect of chemical stability, it is shown that HGS can perform their function reliably in a pH range that is typical for drilling operations. As for downhole environments with abnormal pH range, HGS exhibited minor degradation. For the aspect of mechanical stability, it is shown that some ratings or classes of HGS can degrade significantly when subjected to dynamic and physical forces mimicking the downhole environment. In the most extreme cases, the mechanical degradation of HGS is shown to be able to reach a limit where they no longer can function as density reduction agents. Finally, for the aspect of thermal stability, the theoretical study showed that HGS are generally reliable, even in conditions simulating the most extreme temperature typically experienced in a drilling downhole environment.

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

Cited by 9 publications

References 25 publications

Manufacture Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) in University Laboratory Scale (Phase 1)

Manufacture Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGS) in University Laboratory Scale (Phase 1)

Investigation of The Reliability of Hollow Glass Spheres as a Density Reduction Agent for Drilling Fluids under Physical Impact Forces Simulating Drilling Conditions

An Overview of Experimental Studies Examining the Reliability of Hollow Glass Spheres as a Density Reduction Agent in Oil Field Applications

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