Page 52: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2013)

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Drilling & Completion

New drilling fuid offers environmental advantages

The use of a MHA drilling fuid system to increase at unprecedented

Environmental regulation was developed to bridge the gap rates, which has largely been has made drilling fuid between HPWBMs and SBMs. met by new technologies that selection increasingly allow economic development of diffcult. Dr. James Gaertner petroleum resources previously many times fail to meet the high thought unattainable. Specifcally, demands required to drill extended describes a new water- the use of hydraulic fracturing horizontal wells in reactive shale based mud that balances in conjunction with high-angle formations. On the other hand, oil- performance and compliance.

and extended-reach horizontal based muds (OBMs) are generally drilling has allowed development considered the benchmark for

There are two things the oil of unconventional shale resources. performance, but are plagued and gas industry can be certain of Today, more than 75% of formations by serious health, safety, and moving forward: the demand for being developed worldwide are in environmental drawbacks, leading petroleum is going to continue this group, despite the technically to use restrictions on- and offshore. to increase into the foreseeable demanding well designs required. To address the need for a drilling future and with that the demand The combination of ever-increasing fuid with high performance and for environmental compliance will environmental regulation and environmental compliance several grow. Recent events such as the sophistication of well design has advancements have been made

Deepwater Horizon oil spill and made the selection of drilling fuids in formulations. Drilling fuids the public debate on hydraulic increasingly diffcult. Operators composed of low-toxicity, synthetic- fracturing, or “fracing”, have led to face the complicated task of base oils (SBMs), such as esters, increasing environmental awareness. balancing environmental concerns linear paraffns, linear alpha olefns

Pressure on regulatory agencies and regulation compliance with the and internal olefns, have been from concerned stakeholders has over-reaching goals of maximizing developed to help to address the led to recent local restrictions in well production, protecting pay environmental concerns of diesel- exploration and production activities zones, and minimizing potential based OBMs while maintaining in New York, Pennsylvania, and damage to today’s sophisticated and performance. These SBMs however,

Colorado, and to support more costly rigs. Although conventional still fail to meet the restrictions widespread and longer lasting water-based muds (WBMs) are of whole-mud land farming, measures from the EPA. inherently environmentally or discharge into the sea, and

Despite these restrictions, the friendly and have been used to therefore require costly disposal. demand for oil and gas continues drill thousands of wells, they There are still concerns about the

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