Tremendous amounts of hydrocarbons are located in deeper formations. In deep formations we experience higher pressures and temperatures. Designing a proper drilling fluid that can tolerate such high-pressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) conditions is very challenging. This work is focused on investigating the rheological behavior of water-based drilling fluids with different properties at extremely high pressure and temperature conditions using a state-of-the-art viscometer capable of measuring drilling fluids properties up to 600°F and 40,000 psig. The results of this study show that the viscosity, yield point and gel strength decrease exponentially with increasing temperature until the mud samples fail. This behavior is the result of the thermal degradation of the solid, polymers, and other components of the mud samples. Increase in the distance between molecules due to high temperature will lower the resistance of the fluid to flow and, hence, its viscosity, yield point, and gel strength will reduce. Moreover, conducting this study led to the conclusion that viscosity, yield point, and gel strength increase linearly as the pressure increase. Pressure's effect on these parameters, however, is more apparent at lower temperatures. Ultimately, the study concluded that the mud samples that were used, which are standard industrial types, failed at a temperature of 250°F and that the combined effect of temperature and pressure on mud's rheology is complex.
Asphaltenes deposition is one of the common problems encountered in the petroleum industry as it clogs the area near the wellbore, builds up in the well tubing, and precipitates inside separators and other surface facilities. Thus, it restricts the flow of the fluids from the formation to the wellbore and to the surface and, hence, leads to production loss. The remedial measures for asphaltenes deposition, however, cost money and time.
The aim of the study presented in this paper was to experimentally investigate the role of ultrasonic wave technology as an asphaltenes flocculation inhibitor and to quantify the actual reduction in asphaltenes content of the crude oil when ultrasonic waves were applied. For these purposes, sonication experiments, viscosity measurements, and asphaltenes extraction experiments were performed. Moreover, this study aimed to verify the results and the conclusions that were achieved in a previous similar work by repeating some of the methods they used with different crude oil sample.
Conducting this experimental study led to the conclusions that ultrasonic waves have the ability to break down asphaltenes conglomerates and, hence, reduce asphaltenes content in crude oil samples and that there is an optimum time for sonication at which highest asphaltenes particles disintegration is achieved. Moreover, it was concluded that the crude oil viscosity is influenced by its asphaltenes content.
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