A Comparative Study of Preparation Methods, Weighting Agents, and Temperature on Quality of E-M Compatible Borehole Imaging Fluid

Abbasian, L. and Akindele, Oluwatimilehin Mary and Abugharara, Abdelsalam N. A. and Butt, S. D. (2024) A Comparative Study of Preparation Methods, Weighting Agents, and Temperature on Quality of E-M Compatible Borehole Imaging Fluid. In: 58th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, June 23-26, 2024, Golden, Colorado, USA.

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Abstract

Imaging fluids plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of borehole groundwater on borehole E-M imaging results. Such fluid must possess specific characteristics such as low conductivity to minimize electromagnetic wave attenuation, appropriate dielectric permittivity to prevent signal ringing at the fluid-wellbore boundary, higher density than water for settlement at the bottom hole, and long-term stability throughout the imaging process. This study meticulously examines the influence of agitation and temperature on the quality of oil-based imaging fluids, comparing two major preparation methods with distinct grain sizes of the weighting agent. One is the conventional method involving a critical heating step of the emulsifier in 20% of the imaging fluid liquid base, while the second involves dissolving the emulsifier in the liquid base by agitation. Evaluation of the produced fluids encompasses considerations of their stability over time, settlement in various water temperatures, and rheological properties. The results of these experiments reveal the pros and cons of the agitation process compared to the conventional method, weighting agent grain size, and temperature on the overall quality of the produced imaging fluid.

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