Nanoparticle Treatment Fluid for Well Bore Residue Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drilling operations face challenges with bituminous material adhesion to well equipment and bore surfaces, leading to issues like torque and drag, tool damage, and impaired cementing and fracturing processes, due to the incompatibility of existing treatment fluids which often dissolve but fail to effectively separate bituminous materials.
Innovation Solution
A treatment fluid comprising solid nanoparticles, specifically non-magnetic and almost spherical nanoparticles with sizes less than 200 nanometers, is used to form a film that exerts a disjoining force, separating bituminous materials and drilling fluid residues from surfaces, without emulsifying them, thereby facilitating their removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If treatment fluids containing surfactants and chemicals are used to remove drilling fluid residue, then the residue removal capability is improved, but the fluid complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the active cleaning function into discrete solid nanoparticles, separating them from the bulk treatment fluid. This allows the nanoparticles to be the primary active ingredient while the fluid serves mainly as a carrier, thereby reducing overall fluid complexity while maintaining effective residue removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and form of the active cleaning agent from dissolved chemicals/surfactants to solid particulate nanoparticles. This parameter change enables the cleaning agents to function more effectively at lower concentrations and simplifies the overall fluid composition while maintaining or improving residue removal performance.
2Stability of the object's composition
If dispersants and solubilizers are used to dissolve bituminous materials, then the materials dissolve into the fluid, but the tackiness and adhesive properties increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical dissolution mechanism with a mechanical/physical removal mechanism using solid nanoparticles. Instead of dissolving bituminous materials (which increases tackiness), the nanoparticles mechanically interact with and remove the materials from surfaces through abrasion and adhesion forces, thereby avoiding the harmful increase in tackiness and adhesion.
3Productivity
If conventional treatment fluids are used, then drilling operations continue, but torque and drag issues occur due to bituminous material adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies treatment fluid with solid nanoparticles in advance of cementing or fracturing operations to pre-remove drilling fluid residue and bituminous materials from well bore surfaces. This preliminary cleaning action prevents subsequent adhesion problems that would cause torque and drag issues during drilling and interfere with cementing or fracturing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid nanoparticles act as an intermediary substance between the treatment fluid and the bituminous materials/drilling fluid residue. The nanoparticles interact with and remove these materials from surfaces, serving as a mediating mechanism that reduces adhesion forces without requiring the bituminous materials to dissolve into the treatment fluid, thereby maintaining low tackiness and adhesion.
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 nanoparticle treatment fluid effectively reduces adhesion and allows for the removal of bituminous materials and drilling fluid residues, enhancing drilling efficiency and preventing surface fouling, while maintaining fluid properties and reducing operational complexity and costs.
Implementation Method 1
form a film that exerts a disjoining force, separating bituminous materials and drilling fluid residues from surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to removing residue from a well bore and well bore equipment with a treatment fluid composition, and in some embodiments, to treatment fluid compositions that comprise nanoparticles. An embodiment provides a method of removing drilling fluid residue from the surfaces of well equipment. The method comprising: applying a solid nanoparticle film to at least a portion of the surfaces of the well equipment with a treatment fluid comprising solid nanoparticles; and allowing the solid nanoparticles to interact with the surfaces of the well equipment and the drilling fluid residue adhered to the surfaces of the well equipment to remove at least a portion of the drilling fluid residue from the surfaces of the well equipment.