In the process of oil extraction, the drilling fluid, as a critical operational fluid, directly impacts the drilling efficiency and safety. However, under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, the drilling fluid tends to experience fluid loss, which not only causes environmental pollution but also increases the drilling costs and challenges. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop a novel high-temperature-resistant and environmentally friendly polymer fluid loss additive—EnSipoly-FL—designed to enhance the thermal stability and environmental performance of drilling fluids. The copolymerization of acrylamide (AM), N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP), acrylic acid (AA), and vinyltrimethoxysilane (A-171) was selected to ensure the thermal and chemical stability of the fluid loss additive. The synthesis conditions, including the initiators, emulsifiers, reaction temperature, and time, were optimized in the experiments. The structure of the target product was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis and particle size analysis demonstrated that the polymer possessed excellent thermal stability and appropriate physical dimensions. Environmental impact assessments indicated that EnSipoly-FL exhibited good biodegradability and low toxicity, meeting environmental protection standards. Comprehensive performance tests showed that the polymer microspheres exhibited exceptional fluid loss reduction capabilities and environmental friendliness in high-temperature and high-pressure drilling fluid applications. This makes it a promising candidate for widespread use in the oil drilling industry, advancing the green development of drilling fluid technology.

In response to the complex drilling conditions in the carbonate reservoirs of the Tahe Oilfield, a brine-based solids-free drilling fluid system using oilfield-produced water was developed. Most existing solids-free drilling fluid systems are formulated with fresh water or low-mineralization water, which cannot maintain stability in the high-salinity, high-mineralization conditions of oilfield water. This study addresses this gap by systematically optimizing viscosifiers, fluid-loss control agents, and lubricants, enabling the use of highly mineralized produced water. The developed system maintains good rheological properties and fluid loss control even under challenging conditions. Laboratory tests show that the system, with POLY-V as the viscosifier, DEG-FLO and STAR-AM as fluid-loss agents, and ATV-SLIP as the lubricant, exhibits stable performance under the high-temperature, high-salinity conditions typical of the Tahe Oilfield, with limited performance degradation.