In order to mitigate the loss circulation of oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs), an oil-absorbent polymer (OAP) composed by methylmethacrylate (MMA), butyl acrylate (BA), and hexadecyl methacrylate (HMA) was synthesized by suspension polymerization and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The oil-absorptive capacity of OAP under different solvents was measured as the function of temperature and time. The effect of the OAP on the rheological and filtration properties of OBDFs was initially evaluated, and then the sealing property of OAP particles as lost circulation materials (LCMs) was examined by a high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) filtration test, a sand bed filtration test, a permeable plugging test, and a fracture sealing testing. The test results indicated that the addition of OAP had relatively little influence on the rheological properties of OBDF at content lower than 1.5 w/v % but increased the fluid viscosity remarkably at content higher than 3 w/v %. It could reduce the HTHP filtration and improve the sealing capacity of OBDF significantly. In the sealing treatment, after addition into the OBDF, the OAP particles could absorb oil accompanied with volume enlargement, which led to the increase of the fluid viscosity and slowing down of the fluid loss speed. The swelled and deformable OAP particles could be squeezed into the micro-fractures with self-adoption and seal the loss channel. More important, fluid loss was dramatically reduced when OAP particles were combined with other conventional LCMs by a synergistic effect.

Research on using nanotechnology to solve shale instability problems in drilling engineering has been increasing. The combination of amphiphilic polymer and silica nanoparticles may be a new way to improve shale stability. Herein, an amphiphilic polymer/nano-silica composite (poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylamide)/nano-SiO₂) was introduced as a novel shale stabilizer SMA/SiO₂ for water-based muds, which possessed the advantages of both physical plugging and chemical inhibition during the drilling operations. The SMA/SiO₂ was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), particle size distribution (PSD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments, which confirmed that SMA/SiO₂ was regularly spherical with nano-scale and showed good high-temperature resistance. To evaluate the plugging capacity of SMA/SiO₂, the pressure transmission test and BET analysis were applied. The results indicated SMA/SiO₂ was capable of effectively plugging the pores and fractures in shale. To evaluate the hydration inhibition capacity of SMA/SiO₂, the rolling dispersion experiment and contact angle test were adopted. The results demonstrated that SMA/SiO₂ could reduce the tendency of shale hydration, which was better than potassium chloride (KCl) and polymeric alcohol (JHC). In addition, SMA/SiO₂ only created slight variations on the rheological parameters of the water-based muds (WBMs) and showed a significant filtration control performance. Due to the outstanding performance of physical plugging and chemical inhibition, SMA/SiO₂ was expected to be a novel shale stabilizer to solve shale instability problems.

In deepwater oil and gas drilling, the high-molecular-weight encapsulator aggravates the thickening of the drilling fluid at low temperatures. Therefore, it is hard to manage the downhole pressure, and drilling fluid loss occurs. In this paper, a zwitterionic polymer P(AM-DMC-AMPS) which was the terpolymer of acrylamide, methacrylatoethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, was developed as a low-molecular-weight encapsulator. It was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gel permeation chromatography. Moreover, the low-temperature rheology, shale inhibition and filtration properties of water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) containing different encapsulators were experimentally investigated and compared. The results showed that the molecular weight of P(AM-DMC-AMPS) was about 260,000, much lower than that of the conventional encapsulators. In the deepwater drilling temperature range 4–75 °C, WBDF containing P(AM-DMC-AMPS) had lower and more stable rheological property because of its short molecular chains. The high shale recovery rate and low swelling rate indicated its strong shale inhibition performance, owing to its adsorption on the clay surface and the wrapping effect through both hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. It also improved the filtration property of WBDF, and was compatible with other WBDF components. This product is expected to simultaneously realize the good encapsulation performance and low-temperature rheological property for deepwater drilling fluid.

Effective control of the cohesive force between hydrate particles is the key to prevent their aggregation, which then causes pipeline blockage. The hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) value of surfactants was proposed as an important parameter for the evaluation and design of hydrate anti-agglomerants. A microscopic manipulation method was used to measure the cohesive forces between cyclopentane hydrate particles in the presence of Tween and Span series surfactants with different HLB values; moreover, the measured cohesive force was compared with the results of calculations based on the liquid bridge force model. Combined with the surface morphology and wettability of the hydrate particles, we analyzed the mechanism by which surfactants with different HLB values influence the cohesion between hydrate particles. The results show that for both Tween (hydrophilic, HLB > 10) and Span (hydrophobic, HLB < 10) surfactants, the cohesive force between cyclopentane hydrate particles decreased with decreasing HLB. The experimental results were in good agreement with the results of calculations based on the liquid bridge force model. The cohesive force between hydrate particles increased with increasing concentration of Tween surfactants, while in the case of the Span series, the cohesive force decreased with increasing surfactant concentration. In the formation process of cyclopentane hydrate particles, the aggregation of low-HLB surfactant molecules at the oil–water or gas–water interface increases the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of the hydrate particles and inhibits the formation of liquid bridges between particles, thus reducing the cohesion between particles. Therefore, the hydrate aggregation and the associated blockage risks can be reduced.

Since 2007, heterogeneous, high-viscosity active bituminous formations have often occurred during the drilling process in Yadavaran oilfield (Iran), Halfaya oilfield (Iraq), and tar sands (Canada). The formation of bitumen exhibits plastic and creep properties, and its adhesion is strong, so drilling accidents are easily caused, such as adhering vibrating screen, drill pipe sticking, lost circulation, and even well abandonment. These complex problems cause huge economic losses. Solvents used to dissolve bitumen are a feasible technology to remove bitumen effectively. In order to solve this problem, we used crude bitumen samples from Halfaya oilfield to study the relation between the bitumen component and different solvents. In this study, the temperature, crude bitumen sample to solvent ratio, stirring rate, stirring time, and ultrasound time on bitumen recovery by toluene were investigated by a single factor experiment. The optimum process parameter for bitumen recovery was obtained. Toluene, n-heptane, tetrahydrofuran, cyclohexane, cyclopentane, ethyl acetate, and n-pentane were chosen as the solvents for single solvent extraction and composite solvent extraction. The bitumen recovery increased significantly with the use of a composite solvent compared to a single solvent. The composite solvent ratio was 1:1. The highest bitumen recovery was 98.9 wt% by toluene/cyclohexane composite solvent. The SARA (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes) components of the bitumen were analyzed. The toluene showed the highest asphaltene content, while the n-alkanes showed the lowest asphaltene content. The higher the asphaltene content, the higher the bitumen recovery. The composite solvent obtained the highest asphaltene content and bitumen recovery. The viscosity of bitumen extraction by different solvents was measured. The lower the bitumen viscosity, the higher the bitumen recovery. The element analysis indicated the solvent’s ability to extract bitumen colloids with the C/H ratio. This study provides a reliable theoretical basis for the subsequent adoption of effective anti-bitumen polluted drilling fluid additives.

Abundant oil and gas reserves have been proved in carbonates, but formation damage affects their production. In this study, the characteristics and formation-damage mechanism of the carbonate reservoir formation of the MS Oilfield in the Middle East were analyzed—utilizing X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, slice identification, and mercury intrusion—and technical measures for preventing formation damage were proposed. An ‘improved ideal filling for temporary plugging’ theory was introduced, to design the particle size distribution of acid-soluble temporary plugging agents; a water-based drill-in fluid, which did not require gel-breaker treatment, was formed, and the properties of the drill-in fluid were tested. The results showed that the overall porosity and permeability of the carbonate reservoir formation were low, and that there was a potential for water-blocking damage. There were micro-fractures with a width of 80–120 μm in the formation, which provided channels for drill-in fluid invasion. The average content of dolomite is 90.25%, and precipitation may occur under alkaline conditions. The polymeric drill-in fluid had good rheological and filtration properties, and the removal rate of the filter cake reached 78.1% in the chelating acid completion fluid without using gel breakers. In the permeability plugging test, the drill-in fluid formed a tight plugging zone on the surface of the ceramic disc with a pore size up to 120 μm, and mitigated the fluid loss. In core flow tests, the drill-in fluid also effectively plugged the formation core samples by forming a thin plugging layer, which could be removed by the chelating acid completion fluid, indicated by return permeability higher than 80%. The results indicated that the drill-in fluid could mitigate formation damage without the treatment of gel breakers, thus improving the operating efficiency and safety.