ABSTRACT
The challenges found in deepwater have, in a remarkable short period, forced the oil industry to develop new significant technologies and techniques, due to temperature and pressure effect. The challenges of fluid performance and tools capability are major challenges in deepwater drilling.
This project work provides solutions to these challenges of fluid performance and tool capability in deepwater drilling. For fluid performance challenges, the solution is provision of a fluid based on calcium chloride brine. This fluid provides the required mud density without incorporating any dissolved solids and is based on a novel viscosifying agent that provides stable rheology and good suspension in divalent brines. This help to prevent Gas hydrate formation during drilling.
Lastly a synthetic base mud was recommended as a lasting solution to drilling fluid performance challenges in deepwater drilling. Synthetic-based muds (SBM) offer a new option for meeting the environmental, drilling performance, and economic challenges of deepwater drilling.
The synthetics share basic advantages over oil-based mud and water-based muds. These advantages are related to the performance of the continuous phase of the synthetic-based fluid. In addition, gas is less soluble in SBM than in mineral and diesel oil-based muds allowing for easier detection and control of gas kicks.
For the tool capability challenges, corrosion resistant alloy was recommended as a considerable factor that needs to be considered in designing deepwater equipments.
