09 Completion Fluids

Quartz School for Well Fluids
9. Completion Site Supervisors
Module – 12
Well Completions
Schlumberger Private
Section – 9
Completions Fluids
Quartz School. Module 12: Well Completions / Section 9: Completions Fluids 1/38
9. Completion Fluids
Content
• Functions and Properties

• Design of Completion Fluid
• Types and Applications
• Testing
Functions & properties
Definition
• A clear, solids free fluid that is displaced into the
hole prior to running the completion.
• The density of the fluid is achieved by dissolving

soluble salts in the water.
• Eg: NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, CaBr, NaBr, ZnBr or formate salts –
potassium, caesium
Content

•
Design
• Formulation and Composition
• Testing
Applications
A completion fluid can be used for:
• Conditioning the well prior its activation
• Conducting completion operations
• Performing work over operations & well intervention
• Temporal or definitive well abandonment
General Procedure:
• Displace the drilling fluid with a clean fluid (like filtered brine)
• Perform well clean up after work over operations
• Completion brines are frequently used as perforating or
gravel pack fluids
Drilling fluid displacement
The reasons the drilling fluid must be displaced are:
• To have a clean fluid (solids free) inside the casing in front of the
intervals to perforate
• A viscous spacer is regularly pumped ahead the completion fluid to
avoid its contamination and improve the displacement
• Polymers and surfactants are commonly added to the spacers
Displacement and spacers
Mud
Chemical wash:
- Cleaning wellbore
Completion
Fluid
Spacer: Separation
Content

•
Design
• Testing
Design
Basis of Design
• The design of these fluids will depend on reservoirs
and production techniques,
• The constraints in formulating the fluid :
• Rock character,
• Pore size distribution,
• Pore pressure,
• Hydrostatic pressure,
• Temperature.
Design
Options for Fluid Design:
• Completion fluids may be formulated as foams, brines,
crude / refined oil, pneumatic fluids or emulsions,
• Low and high density completions brines are available on
the market.
Design
Completion fluid design
Completion Fluid
Density Crystallization Compatibility
Corrosion Filtration
Rheology
Design
Density requirement
• The primary performance requirement for a completion fluid
is hydrostatic pressure control,
• The density must be sufficient to produce a hydrostatic
pressure in the wellbore to control formation pressures,
• An over balance of 200 of 300 psi above bottom hole
reservoir pressure is generally used for well control.
• An exception can be when a well is displaced to

underbalanced completion fluid with a cemented and tested
liner and with BOPs on. After installing the tree, it can be
perforated under balance in a controlled environment.
Design
Density requirement
• Temperature and pressure corrections are generally needed for
deep wells to control pressure and avoid excessive overbalance
pressures
• The brine density decreases with increasing temperatures

because of thermal expansion
• Density increases with increasing pressure because of
compressibility
• The temperature effects dominate the pressure effects as the
depth of the well increases
Design
• Density and Temperature correction ;
• The brine density to be mixed at surface at
• 70 °F will be related to the density required at bottom hole
temperature with Schmidt equation :
Density ( 70 F = Density + ( T avg - 70 ) * E f
Ef : expansibility factor
T avg = average well Temperature
T avg = ( Surface Temp + bottom hole Temp) / 2
Design
Crystallization requirement
• The crystallization temperature is the second most important
selection criterion for a completion brine,
• The crystallization temperature is the temperature at which

the least-soluble salt becomes insoluble and precipitates out.
• The crystallization point is the equilibrium

temperature when the crystals form
• The crystals can be either solids or freshwater ice.
Design
Crystallization
• FCTA - TCT - LCTD
°F ZnBr 2 / CaBr 2 curve ( 19.2 ppg )
40
30 Crystal
Crystallization Dissolve
Temperature
20
First Crystal
10
Cooling Heating
10 20 30 40 50 60 Time, min
Design
Crystallization
• Crystals and precipitation can lead to a number of problems
• The density may be reduced
• The crystallized salts settle in the pits,
• Brine viscosity increases with salt crystals, brine appears to
be frozen solid,
• Lines are plugged,
• Ice plugs form in the riser or the wellhead or the BOP stack
• Lost rig time and significant expense
• The process requires a significant amount of energy (heat)
to reverse the effects.
Design
Formation compatibility requirements
• The third selection criterion is the completion brine will
be chemically compatible with the formation rock, water
and hydrocarbons
• Incompatibilities cause formation damage, blocking pore
openings and pore-throat plugging.
Design
Compatibility with formation clays
• The main concern is with formation clay compatibility
• The contact with reservoir rock will cause swelling and / or
deflocculating of formation clay
To prevent clay swelling a completion fluid must meet a

minimum salinity requirement.
( 3% NH4Cl or 2 % KCl )
Design
Compatibility with formation waters
• Incompatibility with formation water can lead to the formation of
scales
• Scales are the result of the deposition of inorganic material
• The scales found in formation water are Calcium, Iron
carbonates, sulfates and silicate,
• Scales can be formed by mixing incompatible waters
Example is formation water containing Barium and seawater
with sulfates leading to Barium Sulfate deposition
Design
Compatibility with formation fluids
• The main concern is the formation of oil-water emulsion and /

or sludge which will block pores and cause formation damage
• The incorporation of surfactants or solvents will be necessary
• Natural gas as such CO2 could cause calcium carbonate
precipitation if a calcium based brine (CaCl2) is selected
• Compatibility with completion equipment seals

This is important for ‘‘packer fluid’’ (fluid left between tubing hanger and
packer). PH plays a part here as well.
Example: amine base inhibitors are not compatible with Viton seals
Content

•
Design
• Testing
Formulation & Composition
Completion fluids
• Low density fluids
• Foams
• Emulsions
• High density fluids,

• Brines
High density Brines:
Brines : 1.00sg ( 8.3 ppg) - 2.3sg ( 19.0 ppg )
POTASSIUM Chloride -( K Cl ) d : 1.16 ( 9.6 ppg )

SODIUM Chloride- ( NaCl ) d : 1.20 ( 9.9 ppg )
MAGNESIUM Chloride- ( Mg Cl 2 ) d : 1.30 (10.8 ppg )
CALCIUM Chloride- ( Ca Cl 2 ) d : 1.40 (11.6 ppg )
SODIUM Bromide- ( Na Br2 ) d : 1.51 (12.5 ppg )
CALCIUM Bromide- ( Ca Br 2 ) d : 1.80 (14.9 ppg )
ZINC Bromide- ( Zn Br 2 ) d : 2.30 (19.0 ppg )
High density Brines
Brine mixtures* : 1. 00 ( 8.3 ppg)-
2.3 ( 19.0 ppg )
Economical formulations
- NaCl + CaCl2 d = 1.20 - 1.40 ( 9.9 - 11.6 ppg )
- NaCl + Na2CO3 d = 1.20 - 1.27 ( 9.9 - 10.5 ppg )
- NaCl + NaBr d = 1.20 - 1.51 ( 9.9 - 12.5 ppg )
- CaCl2 + CaBr2 d = 1.40 - 1.80 (11.6 - 14.9 ppg )
- CaBr2+ ZnBr2 d = 1.80 - 2.30 (14.9 - 19 ppg )
* Crystallization points / Tables
High density Brine
POLYBRINE system :
Formulation of polymers and carbonates used as
a viscosifier and seepage loss control agent in
completion brines.
Prevent excessive filtrate invasion

Formation protection from solids block
Acid soluble
Products
• Others acid soluble products used
• XC Polymer if suspension is required,
• Blends of polymers, calcium lignosulfonate and NaCl
particulate,
• Used as bridging, viscosifier and suspension agent
• The sealing ability may be enhanced with the addition
of supplemental bridging agent
Content
• Design
• Testing
Testing
Testing issues
• The fluid properties need to be tested in the field.
• Tests conducted on :
• Filtration,
• Rheology,
• Fluid loss control,
• Weighting,
• Crystallization temperature
• Corrosion.
Testing
Filtration
• The fluid that contacts the formation must IDEALLY be particle –
free
• particularly in the case of overbalanced perforating
• Even in under balance perforating, solids content affects perforation
crush zone permeability
• Sources of particles inside fluids:
• Solids from mud incorporated during displacement,
• Scales in pits and storage,
• Insoluble impurities in salts or other components,
• Solids and fines in suspension with waters..
Testing
Filtration process
• Mixing plant filtration use two stages process :
• Fluid is passed through a 10-micron filter cartridge,
• Then fluid is filtered with a 2-micron pleated paper
cartridge.
Testing
Filtration process
• The quality control of filtration is the degree of clarity.
• Additional measurements will be conducted:
• Turbidity,
• Particle size distribution,
• Gravimetric measurements of total solids.
Testing
Rheology measurement
• Rheology is tested with the rotating viscosimeter Fann,
model V-G (Viscosity and Gel measurements), widely used
in the drilling- fluid industry,
• A rotating - cylinder turning around a bob connected to a
torsion spring measures the viscosity in terms of the
relationship between the shear stress vs. shear rate
• The Brookfield viscometer is used to measure a very low
shear rates viscosity to enhance suspension properties of
the fluid.
Testing
Fluid loss control
• The completion fluid must be designed for minimum filtrate
invasion in the formation in static and dynamic conditions.
• Tests conducted:
• Spurt loss,
• API test filtration ,
• High temperature and high pressure static filtration
• An alternative is the use of one CaCO3 / polymer ‘pill’ to
control fluid loss
Testing
Weighting
• The density of a completion fluid will need
adjustments.
• Weighting up (increasing density) with solids salts or
heavy brine
• Weighting down (decreasing density) will be done by
dilution with fresh water or a lower-density brine,
• Testing with mud balances or hygrometer.
Testing
Corrosion
• Electrical conductivity of fluid (brine ) permits corrosion of metals
• Corrosion rate is important if the fluid has a low pH or contains
dissolved oxygen,
• The solubility of oxygen decreases in brines as salt saturation is
approached
• Injection of oxygen scavenger (eg ammonium bisulfite) may be needed
• Filming -amine type - brine soluble corrosion inhibitors are frequently
used in completion brines
• Thioconate chemicals as corrosion inhibitors will form a film on the
surface of steel or iron in zinc based brine environment.
Conclusion
• Working with completion fluids, aspects to be

considered are:
• Rig equipment and precautions
• Field mixing procedures
• Displacement procedures
• Typical properties of the fluids
• Calculations and formulations tables
• Health and Safety implications of mixing and
handling various brines

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Quartz School for Well Fluids

9. Completion Site Supervisors

• Functions and Properties

• A clear, solids free fluid that is displaced into the

• The density of the fluid is achieved by dissolving

• Functions and Properties

A completion fluid can be used for:

• Functions and Properties

• The design of these fluids will depend on reservoirs

• An exception can be when a well is displaced to

• Temperature and pressure corrections are generally needed for

• The brine density decreases with increasing temperatures

Density ( 70 F = Density + ( T avg - 70 ) * E f

• The crystallization temperature is the temperature at which

• The crystallization point is the equilibrium

• Crystals and precipitation can lead to a number of problems

Formation compatibility requirements

To prevent clay swelling a completion fluid must meet a

• The main concern is the formation of oil-water emulsion and /

• Compatibility with completion equipment seals

• Functions and Properties

• High density fluids,

POTASSIUM Chloride -( K Cl ) d : 1.16 ( 9.6 ppg )

* Crystallization points / Tables

Prevent excessive filtrate invasion

• The fluid properties need to be tested in the field.

• Working with completion fluids, aspects to be

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