Nanotechnology Applications To Minimize Geo-Mechanical Related Challenges While Drilling Intercalated Sediments, Western Desert, Egypt

Abstract

Nanotechnology has become the buzz word of the decade! The precise manipulation and control a matter at dimensions of (1 – 100) nanometers have revolutionized many industries including the oil and gas industry. Nanotechnology applications have pierced through different petroleum disciplines from exploration, reservoir, drilling, completion, production, processing and finally to refining. Nanoparticles are the simplest form of the structures with sizes in the nm range. In principle, any collection of atoms bonded together with a structural radius of less than 100 nm can be considered a nanoparticle. The Tiny nature of nanoparticles results in some useful characteristics, such as an increased surface area to which other materials can bond in ways that make for stronger or more lightweight materials. At the nanoscale; size does matter when it comes to how molecules react to and bond with each other. The filter cake developed during nanoparticles-based drilling fluid filtration is very thin, which implies high potential for reducing the differential pressure sticking problem and formation damage while drilling. While drilling shales formations with nanodarcy (nD) permeability, Nanoparticles can be added to the drilling fluids to minimize shale permeability through physically plugging the nanosized pores and suppress the pressure transmission, hence Nanotechnology can provide a potential solution for environmentally sensitive areas where oil-based mud (OBM) historically used as a solution to stabilize shales. Geotechnical challenges normally increase with increasing well inclination due to the highly faulted nature of many of the formations. Pressures and temperatures are typically not excessive but the complex interlayering of shales, sandstones siltstones and limestones results in multiple problems associated with borehole instability. The Paper will reveal all lab work and field procedures for new Nanotechnology additive for wells that have an intercalated lithologies and tight reservoirs. Also paper will reveal the effectiveness of the nanotechnology additives to stabilize hole geometry that is demonstrated by comparison pre-nanotechnology wells and post-nanotechnology wells