Lost Circulation Fabric for Drilling Fluid Loss Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lost circulation during drilling operations leads to significant non-productive time and increased costs due to the seepage of drilling fluid into highly permeable, fractured, and porous formations, causing potential drilling issues like kick, blowout, and borehole collapse.

Innovation Solution

A lost circulation fabric (LCF) system comprising a sheet of a first lost circulation material and particles of a second lost circulation material is deployed in the wellbore to reduce fluid loss, where the fabric is designed with specific thickness, tensile strength, surface roughness, and thermal stability, and the particles form a bridging structure to impede fluid leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If drilling fluid is circulated at high rate to maintain hydrostatic pressure and cool drill bit, then drilling efficiency is improved, but fluid loss into formation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling efficiencyVSAvoiddrilling fluid loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The lost circulation fabric is deployed in advance to the loss zone before significant fluid loss occurs. The fabric is positioned on the wellbore wall to create a barrier that prevents drilling fluid from entering the formation, allowing high-rate circulation to continue without excessive fluid loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The lost circulation fabric acts as an intermediary barrier between the drilling fluid and the formation. It mediates the interaction by selectively allowing cuttings to pass through while blocking drilling fluid, thus maintaining drilling efficiency while preventing fluid loss into the formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of substance

If lost circulation fabric with small opening size is used to prevent fluid loss, then fluid loss is reduced, but cuttings may be blocked and cause pipe sticking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling fluid lossVSAvoidpipe sticking risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric structure is designed with spatially varying properties: smaller openings in regions where fluid loss control is critical, and larger openings or permeable zones where cuttings need to pass through. This local variation in opening size allows simultaneous achievement of fluid loss prevention and cuttings removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The lost circulation fabric is constructed as a composite material combining materials with different properties - such as woven fibers for structural integrity and permeability control, and potentially coated or laminated layers for selective filtration. This composite structure enables both fluid loss prevention and cuttings passage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Loss of substance

If thick lost circulation fabric is used to improve barrier effectiveness, then fluid loss prevention is enhanced, but deployment difficulty and wellbore space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling fluid lossVSAvoiddeployment ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is designed to be flexible and dynamically adaptable during deployment. It can be compressed into a compact form for easy deployment down the wellbore, then expands or conforms to the wellbore wall shape once in position, providing effective barrier coverage without requiring excessive thickness or rigid structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The LCF system effectively reduces fluid loss by forming a filter cake over the fabric, minimizing initial losses and preventing further fluid flow into the formation, thereby mitigating drilling issues and maintaining well control.

Implementation Method 1

a sheet of a lost circulation fabric and particles of a second lost circulation material. The sheet of the lost circulation fabric is a material whose structure and composition limit the flow of drilling fluid through the sheet

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

The LCF system effectively reduces fluid loss by forming a filter cake over the fabric, minimizing initial losses and preventing further fluid flow into the formation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

the particles form a bridging structure to impede fluid leakage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBridging:

Data Source

PatentUS11459838B2Lost circulation fabric, method, and deployment systems

Publication Date: 2022.10.04 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A lost circulation system and a method for reducing losses of drilling fluid in a lost circulation zone of a wellbore. The lost circulation system includes a sheet of lost circulation fabric and particles of a second lost circulation material. The sheet of lost circulation fabric is a material whose structure and composition limit a flow of fluids, particularly drilling fluid, through the sheet. The sheet of lost circulation material has a maximum thickness of 1 millimeter, a length of one foot to one thousand feet, and a width of one inch to twenty inches. The sheet of the lost circulation fabric has holes extending through the sheet.