Applications of Nanomaterials in the Oil and Gas Industry

The petroleum industry has been an ever-growing industry. New technologies are always being introduced to encompass the challenges that are encountered. Nanomaterials are being included in these technologies to improve the operation of different processes. Their distinctive physical and chemical characteristics encourage their use in different sectors such as the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the oil and gas industry. In this chapter, the nanomaterials that are utilized in the oil and gas industries are highlighted. Their implementation in various applications is also provided. These applications include hydrocarbon exploration, well drilling and completion, production operations, enhanced oil recovery mechanisms, transportation, and refining operations. There is also a discussion about existing problems and possibilities for future uses.

Development of well complexity calculator and its integration into standard well engineering management system/well delivery system

Oil and gas well drilling is the most important and complex task for oil and gas exploration. It is not necessary that design and execution complexity remain the same for two different wells even in the same field. It is possible to have a very complex well to drill after a very straightforward simple well being drilled earlier in the same field. Making correlation or comparison of any of the two or more than two oil and gas drilling wells is an ongoing debate in the petroleum industry. Generally, companies compare the oil and gas drilling wells on a single or two parameters, for example: time versus depth, directional trajectories, well cost and/or other single factors in disengagement of one another. In order to compare two different types of oil and gas drilling wells, having distinctive design, drilling and fluid program and challenges, a scientific rating system is required, which can relate various wells with one another. In this research paper, a calculator named Well Complexity Calculator has been developed to measure the complexity of the oil and gas well drilling by using different parameters. All these parameters are commonly affecting the drilling program and its execution. Secondly, a methodology is designed for integration of Well Complexity Calculator into standard Well Engineering Management System/Well Delivery System for better execution of drilling program. Fifty-one (51) oil and gas drilling well complexity parameters have been utilized to develop Well Complexity Calculator, where they are categorized into three main complexities types named Design Well Complexity, Geological Well Complexity and Project Well Complexity. Design and Geological Well Complexities combine to form Drilling Well Complexity, and then Drilling Well Complexity and Project Well Complexity combine to form Well Complexity. Median, Mode and Monte Carlo simulation techniques were chosen to develop the calculator where Median showed best suited results and was accordingly chosen for the final calculator. Sixty-six (66) actual oil and gas wells’ camouflaged drilling data were used to analyze and fine tune the developed Well Complexity Calculator. Output complexities of these wells were falling in different complexity levels. Moreover, it was seen that the number of low, high and medium complexity wells was different for Design, Geological, Project, Drilling and Well Complexities which is in line with the real-world scenario.The findings and the output Well Complexity Calculator can be very useful at any stage from initial planning to close-out of a well. Without the application of a system like Well Complexity Calculator, wells are categorized as low, medium or high complexity based on either two to three major parameters or based on qualitative assessment of team involved in the project. Here, step-by-step procedure is developed and explained by which any company involved in Drilling and Well Operations can develop their own Well Complexity Calculator and then accordingly integrate it into their Well Engineering Management System/Well Delivery System.

Analysis of the deep drilling technology in unstable formations at the Semyrenky gas condensate field

The paper presents a general overview of deep drilling in unstable formations at the Semyrenky gas condensate field of the Dnipro-Donetsk Trough, including well design, bottom hole assemblies (BHA), drilling conditions, and drilling muds. Problems encountered during drilling for production casing of Wells 72- and 75-Semyrenky using high-speed drilling methods are analyzed. The relationships between the rate of penetration and disturbed rock stability, volume excess and depth, as well as consistent empirical patterns in changes in mud properties and depth are established. With these technical and economic performance indicators for well drilling are given, elements of a borehole stability management strategy were defined, the principles of mud selection for drilling through problem zones are validated. The paper discusses the requirements to a mud hydraulics program to reduce the erosion of borehole walls, specific borehole preparation techniques, such as reaming and gauging, for drilling in problem zones, and alternative options to ensure borehole stability. Keywords: borehole stability; statistical models; hole gauging; hole geometry; drilling mud; BHA.

Express method for the testing of tribotechnical properties of lubricants

The paper presents the results of experimental study of the tribotechnical properties of lubricants on a unit that simulates the geometric, kinematic and force similarity of well drilling conditions. Bearings with different radial clearances and the same chemical-thermal treatment were investigated. Data registration was carried out on cathode, loop oscilloscopes and electronic recorders. The load on the bearing, the moment of rolling resistance on the journal, and the angular speed of rotation of the outer race were recorded. The temperature was registered using artificial and semiartificial thermocouples. A strobotachometer was used to determine the portable speed of the rolling bodies. The external appearance of all rolling elements was investigated, metallographic analysis of thin surface layers of all rolling elements was carried out, mathematical processing of test results was carried out. It is shown that for the express assessment of the tribotechnical properties of lubricants, the amplitude value of the oscillation of the rolling resistance moment can be used. Keywords: friction; lubrication; tribotechnical Properties; drilling.

Application of Very Low Frequency (VLF) Method for Estimating Karst Underground River in Tanjungsari District

Drought is the main problem for clean water needs in Tanjungsari district. This research aims to provide information on the existence of underground river for deep well drilling. The methods used are geologic-structural analysis and application of Very Low Frequency (VLF) methods. Strike and dip measurements of 150 joints were conducted in the research area. Analysis using rosette diagram shows that the main geologic-structure orientation has a direction of Northwest - Southeast and Northeast – Southwest. Very Low Frequency (VLF) acquisition was measured across the possible occurrence of subsurface water flow directions predicted from geologic-structural analysis. The length of the VLF acquisition line is 2500 meters with 30 m spacing and 108 points acquisitions. The direction of VLF line is N 2700 E. The result shows that there are 2 locations that have high conductivity values, appearing at 1800 meters and 2200 meters. The results of this structural and VLF analyses indicate the existence of underground river at the location of 454326 N, 9105870 E.

An Alternative Tool for Production Logging in Horizontal Wells

From year to year, well drilling is becoming more technologically advanced and more complex, therefore we observe the active development of drilling technologies, well completion and production intensification. It forms the trend towards the complex well geometry and growth of the length of horizontal sections and therefore an increase of the hydraulic fracturing stages at each well. It's obvious, that oil producing companies frequently don't have proved analytical data on the actual distribution of formation fluid in the inflow profiles for some reasons. Conventional logging methods in horizontal sections require coiled tubing (CT) or downhole tractors, and the well preparation such as drilling the ball seat causing technical difficulties, risks of downhole equipment getting lost or stuck in the well. Sometimes the length of horizontal sections is too long to use conventional logging methods due to their limitations. In this regard, efficient solution of objectives related to the production and development of fields with horizontal wells is complicated due to the shortage of instruments allowing to justify the horizontal well optimal length and the number of MultiFrac stages, difficulties in evaluating the reservoir management system efficiency, etc. A new method of tracer based production profiling technologies are increasingly applied in the global oil industry. This approach benefits through excluding well intervention operations for production logging, allows continuous production profiling operations without the necessity of well shut-in, and without involving additional equipment and personal to be located at wellsite.

Development of Statistical Models for Predicting Losses based on the Characteristics of Discontinuities

A method for predicting losses over the area of the deposit to minimize the risks of accidents and gas and oil and water showings for the Permian-Carboniferous reservoir of the Usinskoye field was developed. In addition, the analysis of the influence of faults on the number of losses in wells during drilling was carried out. Based on the more than 250 wells drilling analysis, it was revealed that a significant problem during drilling was the loss of drilling fluid. This complication was found in 46% of drilled wells. The intensity of the studied losses was in a wide range: from insignificant losses to strong ones, with a complete loss of mud circulation. The faults identified both from well drilling data and from seismic data were characterized by a different number of wells with and without losses. Using the combination of various statistical methods, individual and complex models for predicting losses in wells depending on the distance from the fault were obtained. Using multilevel probabilistic-statistical modeling, the study of the influence of faults on losses was carried out: initially, based on the data of all wells, regardless of the methods for identifying faults - the first-level model; by the method of identifying faults (drilling / seismic exploration) - second-level models; according to the data of individual faults - the model of the third level. At the fourth level, a complex model was built, which takes into account the calculation results obtained at the previous levels of statistical modeling. The presence of direct and inverse dependences of the absorption probability from the shortest distance to the fault was established. Using linear discriminant analysis, the results of predicting the probability of absorption were checked.

The Root Cause Analysis and Successful Control of an Oilwell Blowout in the Middle East

In 2017, a blowout and explosion occurred in a drilling oilwell in the Middle East. After drilling to the depth of 2,610 m, tripping was decided in order to change the bit. When the crew were pulling the drill string out of the hole with the drill-string being at the depth of 1332 m, blowout and explosion occurred. The well was a development well drilling almost horizontally (82 degrees inclination angle) into a highly-pressured gas-cap and oil pay-zone of the oilfield. In this work, following a brief explanation of the root causal factors of the incident, we give an account of the blowout control methods applied to put an end to the blowout. Both the top-kill method and the bottom-kill method by relief well drilling, were simultaneously implemented to control the blowout. Finally, the blowout was successfully controlled by the bottom-kill after 58 days. During top-kill operations, all equipment was cleared away and this contributed to proceeding to permanent abandonment immediately after the relief well success. Finally, the adverse effect of the blowout on the environment (HSE) was qualitatively discussed.