Fines migration presents a significant challenge in various reservoirs, adversely impacting well permeability and productivity, leading to considerable financial losses and numerous operational issues, thereby reducing the productive life of a well. This review presents a comprehensive overview of fines migration mechanisms and the factors that trigger particle detachment, mobilization, and pore plugging. Experimental observations of fines release under varying salinity, pH, ionic strength, flow rates, and temperature are systematically analyzed to elucidate how these parameters influence electrostatic forces, drag, and colloidal transport in porous media. The review highlights the coupling between porous media hydrodynamics and electrokinetic phenomena, which together govern the stability and detachment of clay minerals. Furthermore, the review critically evaluates existing mathematical models for fines migration and their ability to predict permeability alteration, alongside advanced analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), zeta potential measurements, and micromodel visualization for quantifying fines behavior. The implications of fines migration in practical applications are analyzed, with emphasis on CO2 sequestration injectivity and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. While fines migration is often associated with formation damage, certain controlled scenarios have leveraged fines movement to improve sweep efficiency in EOR. Finally, remediation strategies, including clay stabilizers, matrix acidizing, and nanoparticle treatments, to mitigate fines-related damage are reviewed. Updated case studies from the past decade are integrated throughout, and recent advances in both fundamental understanding and field management of fines migration are highlighted.

Nanomaterials have gained a wide interest in the oil and gas industry due to its immense applicability. Nanomaterial is being used for formulating a new generation of drilling mud which is known as Nano- mud. Where it has the ability to improve mud properties and eliminate bore hole problems. Using nanoparticles as an additive agent in conventional drilling mud can lead to a more efficient drilling process in troublesome formations. In this experimental study, several conventional water-based muds from a selected well drilled in the Kurdistan / Iraq oil field have been prepared. Then nano-drilling muds were formulated by dispersing SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles in concentrations ranging from (0.25 to 1 wt.%) to conventional water-based mud (WBM). The objective of this experimental study is evaluating and comparing the performance of conventional water-based muds after adding SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles. This comparison was performed by carrying out a series of laboratory experiments to determine the rheological and mud filtrate properties. The results demonstrated that adding SiO2 and ZnO NPs to conventional water-based mud improved the rheological behavior and provided better filtration control compared to conventional drilling muds. However, there was little or no impact of nanomaterials on the mud density for all mud systems.

Effective drilling operations are significantly influenced by the rheological, filtration, and lubricity properties of drilling muds, which directly impact mud flow, rate of penetration, and cuttings transport. However, conventional water-based muds(WBMs) often exhibit poor thermal stability and performance under high-temperature conditions. This study introduces graphene oxide-zinc oxide nanocomposites(GO-ZnO NCs) as multifunctional additives to improve and optimize WBMs performance. Initially, GO-ZnO NCs were synthesized via a solvothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM-EDX), Fourier electron infrared analysis(FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis. The synthesized nanocomposites were systematically evaluated for their effectiveness in improving the rheological, lubricity, and filtration properties of water-based muds across varying concentrations(0.1-1 wt%) and temperatures (85\({}^ \circ {\text{F}}\) − 175\({}^ \circ {\text{F}}\)). Finally, WBM properties were optimized by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM).Morphology and structural analysis indicate the successful synthesis of GO-ZnONCs. Both the experimental results and RSM analysis showed a clear enhancement in drilling mud performance when GO-ZnO NCs were added. Plastic viscosity, yield point, and gel strength (10-sec and 10-min) increased by 25%,19.8%, 20% and 14.8% respectively. Additionally, a 20% reduction in filtration volume and a 7.1% improvement in lubricity were achieved. Significantly, with increasing temperatures the modified WBMs exhibited minor variation in the measured properties compared with conventional WBMs. The optimum formulation was achieved at 0.87wt% nanocomposite and 137\({}^ \circ {\text{F}}\). These findings indicate that GO-ZnO NCs. are a promising, thermally stable additive for high performance WBMs. Future research should evaluate their cost-effectiveness and long-term stability to enable large-scale field application.

Drilling muds play a crucial role in the efficient and safe extraction of oil and gas from petroleum reserves. Their performance depends on rheological and filtration properties. Graphene nanosheets(GNSs) are the thinnest, lightest and strongest nanomaterials, with two- dimensional hexagonal honeycomb structure. Due to their remarkable physiochemical and mechanical properties such as high surface area and thermal stability, GNSs have gained significant attention as WBMs additive. This is first comprehensive review to examine the applicability of bio-based GNSs in enhancing the rheological and filtration properties of WBMs through experimental investigations. The review also examines the potential of GNSs as shale swelling inhibitors and their role in improving wellbore stability. The reviewed studies indicate that even a low concentration (0.1–0.5 Wt%), GNSs can enhance the viscosity of the muds by 10–47%. GNSs also reduce the fluid loss volume by 24–67% and improve wellbore stability in shale formations by minimizing water-clay interactions and physically plugging shale pores. Additionally, GNSs from a thin protective layer on the surface of tubular metals, thus improving WBMs lubricity. However, the application of GNSs-WBMs in extreme geothermal and highly deviated wells still needs further evaluation. The current research studies have been limited to laboratory-scale investigations, the need for field-scale applications are required.