High-Density Brine Used in Oil-Based Completion Fluid Deployed Offshore Norway

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 199243, “First Use of a Newly Developed High-Density Brine in an Oil-Based Screen Running Fluid in a Multilateral Extended-Reach Well: Fluid Qualification, Formation Damage Testing, and Field Application, Offshore Norway,” by Bjarne Salmelid, Morten Strand, and Duncan Clinch, Halliburton, et al., prepared for the 2020 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, 19–21 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed. When used for running sand-control screens, low-solids, oil-based completion fluids (LSOBCF) maintain reservoir wellbore stability and integrity while minimizing the potential risks of losses, screen plugging, completion damage, and productivity impairment. Until now, using LSOBCF as a screen running fluid has been limited by fluid density. The complete paper discusses the design, qualification, and first deployment of an LSOBCF that incorporates a newly developed, high-density brine as the internal phase to extend the density limit. Field History This new field’s well forms part of the greater Alvheim area located in the central part of the North Sea, close to the UK sector. The formations discussed present excellent reservoir characteristics but also significant drilling challenges. The intruded country rock tends to have a high shear failure gradient (SFG) combined with a relatively low fracture gradient. Furthermore, because these reservoirs are exploited using long horizontal and multilateral wells, the drilling window is relatively narrow. For the presented case, the SFG was anticipated to be 1.39 specific gravity (SG) equivalent mud weight with an equivalent circulating density limit of 1.49 SG and stretch limit of 1.53 SG. The fluid density chosen to drill the well was 1.40 SG, and the density for the screen running fluid was planned to be 1.45 SG. Fluids Qualification Laboratory Testing Matrix. An extensive laboratory test matrix was initiated for the qualification of reservoir fluids. The reservoir fluid and drill-in fluid (RDIF) qualification is not detailed in the paper, only the LSOBCF and the novel brine used to prepare this fluid. The test matrix included tests such as rheology performance, long-term stability, production screen on 275 µm screen coupons, standard fluid-loss and filter-cake repair capabilities, reservoir fluid and RDIF compatibility tests, true crystallization temperature (TCT), and corrosion rate. The ultimate test was to check for formation and completion damage performance.