SPE 112950

High Density Brine-Based Drill-In Fluid Improved Reservoir Producibility in Gas

Field Offshore Egypt
A.M. Ezzat, SPE, Medhat Gamal, SPE, Halliburton, and Stefano DAngelo, Belayim Petroleum Company
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2008 SPE North Africa Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Marrakech, Morocco, 1214 March 2008.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
Quick clean up and dramatic improvements in reservoir producibility have been achieved in gas wells located offshore
Egypt. These wells were drilled and completed using an engineered drill-in fluid system. The fluid formulation was
carefully designed and extensively tested in three different laboratories prior to the field applications to help ensure
reproducibility of the data and to verify the non damaging characteristics of the fluid. These tests were conducted under
simulated downhole conditions to help ensure fluid compatibility with the reservoir rock minerals and natural fluids.
To help minimize fluid invasion while drilling in the payzone section, the optimal concentration and particle size
distribution (PSD) of the suspended bridging material were selected and maintained during the field applications. The PSD
of pure ground marble was selected based on the reservoir rock morphology and average pore size to establish effective
bridging near the wellbore and help ensure quick lift-off of the filter cake.
A high-density calcium chloride / calcium bromide brine blend (14-14.5 lb/gal ~ 1.68 sp.gr.-1.74 sp.gr.) was used as the
base fluid to achieve and maintain the required fluid density without additions of insoluble weight material. Optimal
concentrations of non-damaging temperature-stable polymers were used to provide suspension and filtration control. The gas
reservoir section was drilled and completed in several wells with the new system. Productivity index and flow rates exceeded
the operators expectations without any stimulation treatments. Substantial savings were realized in terms of rig time and
well completion costs.
This paper presents the laboratory and field-generated data and discusses the key issues in designing and monitoring the
new drill-in fluid during the field applications.

Introduction
One of the keys to optimizing wellbore connectivity and retaining the natural reservoir rock permeability is to ascertain
and quantify the complex, often interdependent physical interactions and chemical reactions occurring downhole between the
reservoir rock fluid and minerals and the drill-in / completion fluids used1,2,3. Some of the most common ways of damaging a
formation include pay zone invasion and plugging by fine particles, formation clay swelling, commingling of incompatible
fluids, movement of dislodged formation pore-filling particles, changes in reservoir rock wettability, and formation of
emulsions or water blocks. Once one of these damage mechanisms diminishes the permeability of a reservoir, it is seldom
possible to restore it to its original condition.
Reservoir characterization and sensitivity studies were carried out to identify and quantify the geologic parameters that
could influence the producibility of the Miocene sandstone gas reservoirs in an offshore field in Egypt. The field is located in
the Mediterranean Sea, 35 miles north of Port Said City, at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal (Figure 1)
The fluid sensitivity study included thorough examination of the rock morphological and mineralogical composition4,5.
Core analysis data was generated by specialized core laboratories for core plugs from carefully selected sections of the gas
zones. The natural reservoir fluid was also analyzed to establish their chemical make-up. These data helped determine the
reservoir's potential for formation damage problems. Based on the information and the reservoir rock data, a brine-based
drill-in and completion fluid was designed and tested, under simulated downhole conditions. These tests were conducted in
Baroids Houston lab, Baroids Cairo lab, and Eni E&P Milan lab to ensure reproducibility of the lab test data and verify the
non damaging characteristics of the selected additives and fluid formulation.
Reservoir rock description
The geological data suggest that cyclic shale and sand formations were deposited as Miocene deltaic sediments composed
of quartz, detrital clays, lithics, feldspars, and bioclasts with minor quantities of glauconite and mica. The target reservoir
rock is sandstone, moderately compacted with patchy dolomite cement and argillaceous matrix. The sandstone grains are
 2 SPE 112950

subangular to subrounded, ranging from fine to coarse, very poorly to moderately-well sorted. The rock porosity range from
14% - 23%.and average permeability is 150 mD.

Petrographic analysis for cored intervals

Important petrographic and diagenetic features are illustrated in photomicrographs (Figure 2). Most samples are enriched in
quartz, detrital clays, lithics, feldspars, and bioclasts with minor quantities of glauconite and micas. Some grain types were
preferentially leached during diagenesis and created secondary interparticle pores. The clay-rich sandstone samples possess
significant amounts of microporosity. Average pore sizes range from less than 50 to 250 microns with moderate to good
interconnectivity.

Reservoir water and scaling tendencies

The Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute geochemical analysis of properly sampled reservoir water was as follows:
Tem-10 Sample bottle #1733
Total dissolved solids 17610 mg/l
Conductivity @20.5C (69F) 2.62 X 10-2 mohs/cm
Resistivity @20.5C (69F) 0.38168 ohm-m
Salinity 11971 mg/l
pH @ 25C (77F) 8.84
Density @15.6C (60F) 1.00670 g/ml
Specific gravity 1.00770
Hardness 538 mg/l
Constituents mg/l meq/l
Lithium 0.86 0.124
Sodium 5061 220.16
Potassium 26.3 0.67
Magnesium 10.2 0.84
Calcium 198.6 9.90
Aluminum Nil Nil
Iron Nil Nil
Cupper Nil Nil
Strontium 2.601 0.059
Barium 0.761 0.011
Fluoride 130.7 6.883
Chloride 7255.1 204.66
Nitrate 20.1 0.325
Bromide Nil Nil
Hydroxide Nil Nil
Carbonate 149 4.96
Bicarbonate 1343.7 22.02
Sulfate 164.18 3.418
No scale precipitates are expected at temperatures up to 300F (149C) as indicated by Halliburtons scaling prediction
software.

Potential formation damage mechanisms

Deep fluid invasion
The sandstone reservoir section includes over pressured interlayers of clay and shale that require high fluid density to
stabilize. Excessive over balance pressure can cause deep fluid invasion and high skin7. Therefore, to minimize fluid losses
and invasion, the drill-in fluid suspended bridging particles size distribution (Figure 3) and the optimum filtrate control
polymer concentration should be carefully selected and maintained while penetrating the target zones. This will help
establish effective bridging, and seal off the rock flow channels near the wellbore with a thin filter cake that can be easily
lifted off and cleaned up during the well completion operations.
Detrital clays and fines migration
A number of sensitive minerals are present in the reservoir rock as pore filling material (Figure 2). The vertical distribution
of these pore filling minerals and the point counted porosity were identified by the core laboratory as listed in the following
table
SPE 112950 3

Pore Filling Components (% Rock Volume) Point

Depth (Mt) Glaucony Detrital Clay Quartz Ferroan Dolomite Pyrite Kaolinite Counted
Overgrowth Porosity
3706.2 1 2.5 1.5 4 1 3 21
3706.6 2 3 3.5 1 0.5 0.1 23
3713.1 1 3 1.5 23 1 0.1 14
3723.9 6 5.5 3 0.5 1 0.1 20
3726.0 1 2 4 0.1 0.5 0.5 24
3730.2 2 8 4 2 0.5 1 18.5

Under circumstances such as exposure to fresh water or improper acid treatments and excessive overbalance pressures, these
minerals could be dislodged, swell, and allowed to move and choke off the pore throats5,6,7. Disturbing these fines will cause
severe plugging of the rock flow channels and dramatically reduce the rock effective permeability and connectivity with the
wellbore.

Drill-in and completion fluid selection

A special effort was undertaken to design the most suitable and economically feasible nondamaging fluid that would meet the
combined requirements of drilling and completion operations. The candidate fluid formulation design criteria were
established as follows:

Cost-effective and environmentally acceptable water-based fluid with the required density range to stabilize the
intermittent sand shale layers
Less invasive fluid with minimum concentration of acid degradable, properly sized suspended solids.
Thermally stable rheology and fluid carrying capacity to help ensure hole cleaning.
The fluid should provide lubricity, effective fluid-loss control, and good filter cake sealing and plastering characteristics.
The filter cake (bridging particles, and polymers) should be easily lifted off and must be readily removed or dissolved to
help ensure low skin and no residual damage.
The fluid must meet rigid corrosion prevention specifications and resist cement contamination.

Properly formulated high density brine-based fluid with an optimum concentration of sized ground marble
satisfactorily fulfilled these criteria, and three commercially available base brines were identified for achieving the
required density:
Single salt solution
- Potassium formate 13.1 lb/gal
- Calcium bromide 14.2 lb/gal
Two salt solution
- Calcium bromide/calcium chloride 14.2 lb/gal.
Calcium carbonate loading required for each base brine formulation:
Drill-in Fluid - One barrel (1.677 sg / 14 lb/gal)
Base brine Density, lb/gal Starting Vol., bbl CaCO3
KOOH 13.1 0.911 85
CaBr2 13.6 13.8 0.958 -0.979 20-40
CaBr2/CaCl2 13.6 13.8 0.958 -0.979 20-40
The two salt brine CaBr2/CaCl2 was chosen as the most cost effective base brine. Utilizing this brine required less solids
loading and the formulation had much lower viscosity and equivalent circulating density. Excessively high-viscosity fluids
could cause high surge and swab pressure on trips, and may create wellbore instability. Minimizing the solids loading helps
not only in maintaining the desired fluid properties but also will facilitate the clean-up of the well after it is drilled.
The potassium formate-based formulation on the other hand was more expensive and required 85 lb/bbl calcium carbonate as
weighting and bridging material compared to 20 40 lb/bbl bridging particle for the calcium bromide formulations. Also, the
formate-based fluids pH is usually maintained above 10.5 in order to reduce fluid corrosivity and ensure fluid stability.
High pH fluid filtrate invasion can increase the scaling and emulsion tendencies of reservoir water14, 15 and can destabilize
reservoir rock pore filling clay minerals. High pH filtrate can also change the reservoir wettability characteristics and reduce
the relative permeability for oil and gas. These are well recognized problems that have caused severe formation damage and
high skin18, 19.
Low pH CaBr2/CaCl2 brine was found to be compatible with the natural reservoir water. No salt precipitates occurred when
the two solutions were mixed together at different ratios at temperatures up to 120C (~250F). The scaling tendencies were
 4 SPE 112950

also calculated with Halliburtons scaling prediction software and the results showed that no scaling problems are expected
by commingling the reservoir water with the CaBr2/CaCl2 brine in the pH range of 8.8 9.2 at 300F (149C).

Laboratory testing
A series of laboratory tests were carried out to formulate the drill-in fluid and achieve the required properties before and after
heat-aging at the anticipated bottom hole temperature (120C / 248F). The residual damage and fluid clean up was also
evaluated using core samples from an offset well. The scope of work included:
Optimizing the fluid formulation and rheological properties.
Assessing the drill-in fluids filter cake sealing efficiency.
Measuring the return permeability and filter cake lift-off pressure after exposing core samples to the drill-in fluid under
simulated downhole conditions.
Several formulations were prepared and evaluated before and after hot rolling (AHR) and after static aging (ASA) in glass
cell.

Mixing procedure
1. Use a Hamilton-Beach mixing cup, add the brine and start mixing on a Silverson Mixer at 6000 rpm.
2. Slowly add the suspending polymer followed by the high temperature filtrate control polymer and mix for five minutes
while monitoring the fluid temperature.
3. Add the pH buffer and continue mixing until the temperature reaches ~150F (~66C). This should take 10 to 15 minutes
total time. Do not overheat.
4. Discontinue mixing and remove cup from the Silverson mixer, transferring as much fluid as possible from the mixing
head to the cup.
5. Resume mixing on a lower shear mixer (Hamilton-Beach at low speed or a Multi-mixer).
6. Add the ground marble and mix for five minutes.
7. Add the oxygen scavenger and mix for two minutes.

The following formulation had acceptable rheological properties after hot rolling at 120C (~250F):

Fluid formulation and order of addition

CaBr2/CaCl2 brine* (1.677sg / 14 lb/gal); 0.95 bbl
Vicosifier/Suspending polymer 0.86 Kg/m3 (0.3 lb/bbl)
HT Filtrate control polymer 19.98 Kg/m3 (7.0 lb/bbl)
pH buffer 8.56 Kg/m3 (3.0 lb/bbl)
Ground marble 5 40 Kg/m3 (40%)
Ground marble 25 20 Kg/m3 (20%)
Ground marble 50 40 Kg/m3 (40%)
Oxygen scavenger 2.85 Kg/m3 (1.0 lb/bbl)
*CaBr2 (14.2 lb/gal); 0.923 bbl + CaCl2 (11.6 lb/gal); 0.077 bbl
Fluid Properties
Rheology Fann 35 BASE (A) AHR (A.1) ASA
@50C RPM 3 days @Rm temp (A) 16hrs @70C (A.1) 16hrs @120C (A.2)
600 86 91 96
300 56 63 67
200 45 51 55
100 32 38 41
6 10 14 17
3 8 12 14
Gels 10sec./10min.; 4/6 6/7 7/9
g/100 cm
Density; Kg/l 1.73 1.73 1.73
PV; cP 30 36 29
YP; g/100 cm 13 8 19
SPE 112950 5

Evaluation of filter cake sealing efficiency

A high pressure dynamic filterpress apparatus with a data acquisition system was utilized to build the filter cake on a porous
disk. Tests were run at 120C (~250F), 40 bar (480 psi) pressure and 5 bar (~73 psi) of back-pressure, on Berea sandstone
disk with a diameter of 2 inches (50.8 mm) and a thickness of 0.2 inches (5 mm). The initial disk permeability was 70 mD.
Filtration was run in the vertical direction, under static conditions, and the filtration rate was measured with an electronic
balance.
The ground marble bridging particle sizes selected were:
Ground marble 5 micron = 40% (40 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 25 micron = 40% (40 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 50 micron = 20% (20 Kg/m3)
The filtrate at 120C was clear at an acceptable low rate and the cake was thin and easy to remove (Figure 4). The filtration
factor resulted Cw = 0.038 cm/min^(1/2) and spurt loss factor resulted Spurt = 2.94 Lt/m^2
Return permeability test on core plugs with filtrate invasion and filter cake lift-off evaluation
Core flooding apparatus in ENIs laboratory in Milan was used for this study. Core plugs provided for return permeability
tests were mounted in a core holder and placed inside an air bath. A confining pressure of 60 bars was applied during the
tests while the filtration pressure was fixed at 40 bars. At the core outlet a back pressure was regulated at 5 bars to prevent
ebullition of the filtrating brine. The filtration flow rate was monitored by electronic balance. The data acquisition system
permitted a very accurate monitoring of the tests (Figure 7).
A return permeability test on a low permeability core sample (porosity: 16.4%) from an offset well was performed and the
following data was generated:
Core plug # 44-well T-3 @ depth 3893.3 m
Diameter: 1.5 (38.1mm) X length: 0.866 (22mm)
Initial brine permeability: 5.5 mD
Final brine permeability: 4.2 mD
Return permeability: 76%
Lift-off pressure at 15 mL/h: 0.694 bars (10.06 psi)
Filtration factor resulted Cw = 0.0467 cm/min^(1/2)
Spurt loss factor resulted Spurt = 1.60 Lt/m^2
The tests were carried out at 120C and differential
pressure of 35 bars (508 psi).
The ground marble bridging particle size distribution was modified to effectively seal the low permeability core sample as
follows:
Ground marble 5 micron = 40% (40 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 25 micron = 40% (40 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 50 micron = 20% (20 Kg/m3)
Acceptable filtrate rates were achieved for the low permeability core plug# 44, as shown by the filtration curve at 120C with
a thin cake (Figure 5).
The return permeability test was also carried out on high permeability core to investigate the fluid behaviour in the highest
permeability section of the reservoir. Due to the poor conditions of the remaining core samples from the offset well, the test
was carried out using a clean high permeability Clashach sandstone core sample.
Clashach sandstone core sample
Diameter: 1.5 (38.1mm) X length: 3.47 (80 mm)
Initial brine permeability: 1350 mD
Final brine permeability: 1080 mD
Return permeability: 80%
Lift-off pressure at 15 mL/h: 0.08 bars (1.16 psi)
Filtration factor resulted Cw = 0.047 cm/min^(1/2)
Spurt loss factor resulted Spurt = 1.72 Lt/m^2
The tests were carried out at 120C and differential
pressure of 35 bars (508 psi).
The drill-in fluid bridging particle size distribution was modified to effectively seal the high permeability core as follows:
Ground marble 5 micron = 30% (45 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 25 micron = 20% (30 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 50 micron = 30% (45 Kg/m3)
Ground marble 150 micron = 20% (30 Kg/m3)
 6 SPE 112950

The filtration curve at 120C showed low filtration rates for the high permeability Clashach SS core with thin cake (Figure 6)
The filtration lab test results indicated that the selected bridging particles concentrations and size distribution along with the
polymers used in the formulations have successfully established effective sealing with a thin filter cake that was easily
removed with low lift-off pressure and good return permeability as shown in the following table:
Porous Media Initial Perm.mD Spurt loss Lt/m2 Lift-Off Pressure bars Return Perm. %
Berea SS disk 70 2.94 NA NA
#
Core Plug 44 5.5 1.60 0.69 76
Clashach SST 1350 1.72 0.08 80

Note: To correctly compare the filtration curves performed on disk and on cores the differences of diameters must be
considered (2 disk and 1.5 core), this is included in Cw and spurt loss factors calculation.
Filtration parameters
In the fluid filtration experiments we express the results by the filtration factor Cw [cm/min^(1/2)] and spurt loss factor Spurt
[Lt/m^2]. Spurt loss is indicative of the initial mud cake formation (compaction on the face). After this initial fluid loss, the
filtration factor Cw is indicative of the progressive fluid invasion. Based on the experimental filtration curve (function of
time), the fluid invasion can be then expressed by the following formula:
Filtrate invasion (cm) = Spurt (Lt/m^2)/10 X 100/porosity(%) + SqRootTime (min^1/2) X Cw(cm/min^1/2) X 100/porosity(%)

Field applications
TN-2 Well
Based on the laboratory data, the approved brine-based drill-in fluid formulation was prepared in the plant and delivered to
(TN-2) wellsite to drill the reservoir section. A bottom hole assembly with 6 PDC bit and MWD - LWD tools was run in
hole on 3 1/2" heavy weight drill pipe. Oil-based mud was displaced with 1.2 sg water-based mud using special sweeping
and surfactant treated spacers to ensure proper hole cleaning. The water-based mud was displaced with the new drill-in fluid
(DIF) 1.67 sg. The rig commenced drilling out of the cement and float shoe.
The rig drilled out cement from 4148m to 4158.5m and continued drilling from 4158.5m to 4170m, back reamed to shoe
before making a connection, encountered tight hole from 4165m to 4169m. The drilling parameters were as follows: flow
rate (FR) = 250-300 gpm, weight on bit (WOB) = 4-10 klb, revolution per minute (RPM) 60 75. The hole was reamed and
back reamed through tight spot, and had an overpull of 10 - 35 klb, and high torque 11000 to 12600 ft lb. The bit was pulled
to the shoe at 4153m, and the DIF was circulated and conditioned with density in/out from 1.66 s.g. to 1.67 s.g. Drilling
continued from 4170m to 4181m.
Source Flow Line Flow Line Flow Line
Depth meter 4187 4223 4296 TD
FL Temp F 130 130 130
Density SG @ F 1.690 @ 95 1.670 @ 95 1.690 @ 90
FV, sec/qt @ F 48 @ 85 50 @ 95 52 @ 85
PV, cP @ F 22 @ 120 26 @ 120 20 @ 120
YP, lbs/100 ft2 16 14 16
GELS, lbs/100 ft2 2/6/- 6/12/- 8/12/-
600/300 60/38 66/40 56/36
200/100 24/16 26/20 28/22
6/3 8/4 10/8 10/8
API Filt ml/30 min 3.3 3.2 3.0
HTHP ml/30min / disk:10 @ F 16 @ 250 20 @ 250 18 @ 250
Cake API/HTHP 32nd in / disk:10 1/- 2/- 2/-
MBT, lb/bbl Eq. 2 2 2
pH @ F 8.50 @ 90 8.50 @ 90 8.60 @ 90
Drilling was stopped to monitor fluid losses and then continued to drill from 4181m to 4187m. The 4157m to 4168m section
was re-logged to calibrate and check LWD sensor. Drilling resumed from 4187m to 4223m with FR= 200-280 gpm,
standpipe pressure (SPP) = 3100-3750 psi, and WOB = 6-12 klbs. Encountered DIF losses while drilling at 4192 m and
reduced flow rate from 260 to 190 gpm to stop the losses (total losses = 20 bbls). The rate of penetration (ROP) was reduced
to a maximum of 5 m/hr per the geologists instruction. The 6" hole was drilled from 4223m to 4227m with FR= 180-200
gpm, SPP= 3000-3250 psi, and WOB = 6-12 klbs. The 6" hole was drilled without controlling the penetration rate from
4227m to 4233m with FR= 180-200 gpm, SPP= 3000-3200 psi, and WOB = 8-15 klbs. The mud weight was reduced from
SPE 112950 7

1.69 s.g. to 1.67 s.g. Total depth (TD) was reached at 4296m. The rig circulated bottom up and a survey was taken at
4283m. The well was flow checked (15 min) and reported static. The 6" hole was drilled from 4158.5m 4296m in two
days without any drilling problems related to the DIF. The well was completed with 3" expandable screen to 4296m TD.
The well cleaned up in about 22 hours and reached the target flow rate. Productivity Index (PI) and skin factor exceeded
expectations without any stimulation treatments (Figure 8).
T-7 Well
The same brine-based DIF (1.69 s.g.) was used on another well (T-7). The 9-5/8" casing was set at 4300m and plugged back
to 3077 with cement. A window was cut at 3306m and drilled 8" hole with oil-based mud 1.83 s.g. to 4366m. The 7" liner
was set and cemented at 4360m. The rig drilled the residual cement and liner shoe with the oil-based mud then reduced the
mud density to 1.68 s.g. After drilling 3 meters of new 6" hole, drilling stopped in order to clean and displace the hole with
the new DIF. Properly formulated cleaning spacers and high viscosity sweeps were used to remove the oil-based mud
residue. The hole was then displaced with the clean DIF.
Drilling the 6" hole through the reservoir section was resumed from 4369m to TD 4499m. Some DIF losses (23 barrels) were
encountered while drilling at 4381m. At 4431m the losses increased to 120 barrels/hr. The pipe was pulled to the casing
shoe. The static losses was reduced to 25 barrels/hr. The rig tripped back to bottom and pumped 20 barrels lost circulation
pill with 30 lbs/bbl sized ground marble. Static losses were reduced to 18 barrels/hr and 36 barrels/hr while drilling with a
flow rate of 190 gpm. Sized ground marble additions were continued and the hole was swept with high viscosity pills every
three meters while drilling to 4499m (TD).
Source Flow Line Flow Line Flow Line
Depth m 4,383 4,464 4,499 TD
FL Temp @ F 130 130 130
Density SG @ F 1.690 @ 85 1.670 @ 95 1.690 @ 85
FV, sec/qt @ F 45 @ 85 56 @ 95 49 @ 85
PV, cP @ F 24 @ 120 23 @ 120 25 @ 120
YP, lbs/100 ft2 13 16 16
2
GELS, lbs/100 ft 3/6/- 9/16/- 7/12/-
600/300 61.0/37.0 62.0/39.0 66.0/41.0
200/100 26.0/16.0 27.0/19.0 29.0/21.0
6/3 9.0/4.0 9.0/8.0 9.0/8.0
API Filt ml/30 min 3.3 3.2 3.0
HTHP ml/30min / disk,10 @ F 16 @ 250 18 @ 250 18 @ 250
Cake API/HTHP 32nd in / disk,10 1/- 2/- 2/-
MBT, lb/bbl Eq. 2 3 2
pH @ F 8.40 @ 90 8.80 @ 85 8.40 @ 90
The 6" hole was drilled in 7 days (two days actual rotating hours and 5 days pulling to casing shoe, spotting lost circulation
pills, logging, etc). The well was completed with 3" expandable screen that landed at 4483.68m. The well cleaned up in
few hours and exceeded the target flow rate (Figure 9). Productivity Index (PI) and skin factor exceeded expectations
without any stimulation treatments.

Conclusions
In-depth lab investigations of possible chemical reactions and physical interactions downhole between the reservoir
rock fluid and minerals and the drill-in / completion fluids is important in selecting the appropriate fluid type and formulation
for controlling formation damage and improving well producibility.
The high density brine-based drill-in fluid is a viable non-damaging fluid that can help in saving stimulation cost and
time. Significant cost reduction can be realized by recycling this type of fluid.
Effective filter cake sealing characteristics can be achieved and maintained by careful selection of the optimal particle
size distribution and concentrations of the suspended bridging solids. The selection should be based on the reservoir rock
morphology and pore throat size distribution. The particle size distribution can be maintained and closely monitored while
drilling.
Quick and easy liftoff of the filter cake can be achieved by maintaining the DIF clean and free from harmful solids and
active clays. In this field application, we believe that the filter cake solids were able to pass through the expandable screen
easily and quickly.
Very small concentrations of polymers are needed for the divalent brine-based DIF to control filtrate, maintain the filter
cake integrity, and to provide the essential rheological properties. The addition of an oxygen scavenger can extend their
temperature stability up to 325F (~162C).
The pH of the CaBr2/ CaCl2 brine-based DIF was maintained in the range of 8.5 - 9.0 and no corrosion issues were
encountered. This low pH helped in reducing the scaling and emulsion tendencies.
 8 SPE 112950

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drilling muds, Bakersfield, CA., SPE 12501, February 13- 14, 1984
17. Plank, J.: Water-Based Muds Using Synthetic Polymers Developed for High Temperature Drilling, Oil & Gas Journal
(Mar 2, 1992) 40.
18. Van Oort, E., et al.: Improving HTHP Stability of Water Based Drilling Fluids, SPE/IADC 37605 presented at the
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, Mar 4-6, 1997.
19. Gilmour, A. and Davison, M. Advanced Monitoring Techniques for Pro-Active Drilling Fluids Management,
presented at the AADE Annual Technical Forum Improvements in Drilling Fluid Technology, Houston, Mar 30-31, 1999.
20. Burton, R. C., Hodge, R. M. Wattie, I., Tomkinson, J.: Field Test of a Novel Drill-In Fluid Clean-Up Technique SPE
58740 presented at the SPE International Symposium on Formation Damage, Lafayette, Louisiana, 23-24 February 2000.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express thanks to the management of Belayim Petroleum Co and Halliburton Energy Services
for permission to publish this paper and to Alberto Guarneri, ENI, Drilling Fluids Specialist and our many colleagues who
have contributed to the generation, collection and interpretation of the data presented in this paper. We would especially like
to thank Antonella Tacconelli, completion engineer, Alessandro Fasto, reservoir geologist, Petrobel. Also, we would like to
express our appreciation to Wael El Sorafy, Gamal Gouda, Mohamed Abd El Salam, Ibrahim Arafa, Mohamed Ibrahim,
Mohamed Gaber, and Ahmed Ebeid, Halliburton-Baroids engineers for their valuable contributions during the field
implementation of the project.

SI Metric Conversion Table

Bbl x 1.589 873 E-01 = m3
Lbm x 4.535 924 E-01 = kg
lbm/bbl x 2.853 E 00 = kg/m3
cP x 1.0 E-03 = Pas
inch x 2.54 E 00 = cm
ft x 3.048 E-01 =m
(F-32)/1.8 = C
 SPE 112950 9

Figure 1. The field is located in the Mediterranean Sea, 35 miles north of Port Said city, at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal.

C#1 3706.20m
Subfeldspathic arenite, fine grained, completely leached potassium feldspars, bioclasts and detrital clays with authigenic cement
(dolomite, some pyrite, and scattered kaolinite). Porosity = 21% -25.3%. - Interparticle and K-feldspares dissolution. Horizontal
permeability = 537 mD and vertical permeability 424 mD. High reservoir quality

C#2 3730.20m
Quartz arenite, medium grained, poorly sorted with dispersed grain coating clays and claystone clasts. The grains are cemented
with authigenic crystalline dolomite, quartz overgrowth and patch kaolinite. Porosity = 18.5% -21.8%. - Interparticle and
interparticle dissolution porosity. Horizontal permeability = 471 mD and vertical permeability 294 mD. Moderate reservoir
quality

Figure 2. Thin sections photomicrographs for core samples representing the target sandstone gas reservoir
 10 SPE 112950

Mixture of Sized Ground Marble (CaCO3)

100

90
600 Microns
80

Retained weight (%)

70

150 Microns 5 Microns 60

50

40

30
25 Microns
20

50 Microns 10
86
0
10000 1000 100 10 1
particle diameter (micron)

Figure 4. Thin compacted filter cake on Figure 5. Core#44-permeability 5.5mD Figure 6. Clashach sandstone-1350 mD
70 mD disk return permeability: 76% return permeability 1080 mD (80%)

DATA
ACQ.

C o n fin in g
P re s s u re
B ack
P re s s u re
P P P P
N 2
20 100 100 20

P
100

B a la n c e
(flo w a t o u tle t)

OVEN

M ud B r in e
V essel V essel
P e r m e a b ili t y
Pum p

Figure 7. Apparatus for core flooding return permeability and reservoir core filtration tests
SPE 112950 11

Figure 8. TN2 well cleaned up in few hours and exceeded the target flow rate

TIME CHOKE WELL HEAD

HH:MM 1/64" PRESS.PSI-G TEMP.Deg. F DS PSI-G
12:00 24 5,500 98 250
12:15 24 5,560 98 260
12:30 24 5,580 99 260
12:45 24 5,585 100 260
13:00 24 5,600 102 260
13:15 24 5,600 105 260
p r e s s u r e v s tim e @ 2 4 /6 4 o p e n in g

5,620

5,600

5,580

5,560

5,540
Pressure

5,520

5,500

5,480

5,460

5,440
1 2 3 4 5 6
T im e

Figure 9. T-7 well cleaned up in five hours and exceeded the target flow rate