Aerated Drilling Fluids Can Lower Drilling Costs and Minimize Formation Damage
- Key words
- Drilling; Aerated Mud; Equipment; Corrosion; Density
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1990
- Session
- Drilling; Drilling fluids; Economics; Formation damage; Equi
- Language
- English
Abstract
Geothermal production depends on drilling and completion techniques. Using a conventional circulating system, drilling fluids and cuttings can invade, "bake" in the hot formation fractures, and reduce the production from low pressured, water dominated geothermal reservoirs. By using a properly engineered aerated drilling fluid system, reduced circulating pressures decrease the amount of drilling fluids and cuttings entering and damaging the producing reservoirs. Mud material costs are lowered by decreasing the drilling fluid losses. The reduction in the differential pressure between the formation and circulating fluid increases penetration rates and improves bit performance.
Copyright 1990, Geothermal Resources Council. Readers who download papers from this site should honour the copyright of the original authors, and may not copy or distribute the work further without the permission of the original publisher.