American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2018 - 81

SpecialReport: MWD/LWD & Wellbore Optimization

Seeking to optimize drilling performance in horizontal resource plays, operators increasingly are applying ﬂuids designed to match downhole conditions speciﬁc to a particular
ﬁeld or even pad-whether in the geologically complex Delaware Basin, where AES
Drilling Fluids is providing direct-emulsion systems engineered for Wolfcamp wells, or
in the Marcellus/Utica play in the Northeast, where the company is customizing ﬂuid
chemistries for extended-reach wells with lateral lengths exceeding 20,000 feet.

mud makes it the go-to for challenging
wells. The pursuit of comparable waterbased systems continues with incremental
gains," Offenbacher states.
Success in solving a basin-specific
issue in the Delaware is generating renewed interest in customized fluids in
general, he notes. "I am seeing a drive
toward designing fluid systems to match
downhole issues in specific fields or pads.
For example, our customers in the Northeast are drilling 30,000-foot wells with
horizontal sections greater than 20,000
feet. In these wells, wellbore stability
and lubricity concerns dominate drilling
fluid design, but formulations require
modification for cost and severity of conditions in the area.
"Performance is a function of engineering best practices and adjusting the
drilling fluid formulation for a more complex task," Offenbacher goes on. "Onesize doesn't fit all, especially when the
margin for error narrows."
Solids Control
Drilling operations in horizontal resource plays move fast, and oil and gas
companies expect the same from their
fluid suppliers, observes Brad Billon,
vice president of North America for
Anchor USA, a QMax Company. To
become more responsive and optimize
the overall performance of the fluid
cycle, he says Anchor USA offers a
"total fluids solutions" approach that
includes drilling fluids, solids control,

and drilling waste management equipment and services.
Billon sees operators thinking more
broadly about the role fluids play as part
of the total drilling operation. "They are
considering how best to manage the fluid
cycle as part of a system, and that helps
them manage their drilling operations
more efficiently," he says.
"Solids control is a very important part

of the fluids cycle," Billon points out.
"The solids control service complements
the drilling fluids service, and there are
definite synergies when one company
manages both. The higher the penetration
rate, the faster solids and cuttings are generated, which requires effective solids control to maintain fluid integrity and enhance
drilling efficiencies."
Top hole sections of horizontal wells
frequently are drilled with clear water or
clear brines, often where access to water
is challenging. Anchor USA is employing
a solids control system called MUDSTRIPPER™ that allows operators to
continue drilling without interruption,
while removing solids at flow rates as
great as 850 gallons a minute and recycling
the fluids on the well.
"It is a cost-effective way to manage
the drilling fluid without a huge reserve
pit and helps operators minimize cuttings
take-away costs as well," he notes. "For
example, in the Permian we have seen a
40 percent reduction in time on wells
due to less fluid conditioning, cleaning
of steel pits, and time replacing pump
lines and bit trips, all while reducing
fluids consumption by 25 percent.
"Operators are interested in solids
control technology because they recognize that a clean fluid drills faster
and minimizes potential fluids risks,"
Billon concludes.
r

With operators recognizing that a clean ﬂuid drills faster and minimizes potential risks,
Anchor USA is providing solids control as part of a total ﬂuids solutions approach that
also includes drilling ﬂuids and drilling waste management equipment and services. The
company's MUDSTRIPPER™ system, shown here on a Permian Basin well site, removes
solids at ﬂow rates as great as 850 gallons a minute to clean and recycle ﬂuid without
interrupting the drilling operation.

NOVEMBER 2018 81

American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2018

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