Rheological property measurement of drilling fluids used in geothermal wells

Citation
E. Santoyo et al., Rheological property measurement of drilling fluids used in geothermal wells, APPL TH ENG, 21(3), 2001, pp. 283-302
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Mechanical Engineering
Journal title
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
ISSN journal
13594311 → ACNP
Volume
21
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
283 - 302
Database
ISI
SICI code
1359-4311(200102)21:3<283:RPMODF>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
With the goal of increasing understanding of drilling fluid temperature beh aviour during geothermal well drilling operations, and for providing a data base for a better development of numerical wellbore simulators, an experime ntal work based on a rheological evaluation of drilling fluids was carried out. High-temperature drilling fluid systems (HTDFS) which are most commonl y used in the Mexican geothermal well drilling industry were selected and e valuated. Eleven water-based drilling fluids were formulated and chemically characterised in order to carry out the rheological evaluation. Dynamic ex perimental tests considering the non-Newtonian behaviour of such HTDFS were performed using a coaxial cylinder-type viscometer (Fann 50C). Drilling fl uid viscosities in a programmed temperature range of 25-180 degreesC (at a constant reservoir pressure and a shear rate of 3448.2 kPa and 170 s(-1) re spectively) were measured. These dynamic viscosity measurements were then f itted to derive correlating equations for determining the drilling fluid vi scosity as a function of temperature. Details of the experimental rheologic al tests including a complete description of the equipment and all the HTDF S used as well as the derived viscosity-temperature equations are presented . (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.