Multiphase flow system used in exploiting depleted reservoirs: Water-based micro-bubble drilling fluid

Abstract

Water-based micro-bubble drilling fluid, which is used to exploit depleted reservoirs, is a complicated multiphase flow system that is composed of gas, water, oil, polymer, surfactants and solids. The gas phase is separate from bulk water by two layers and three membranes. They are "surface tension reducing membrane", "high viscosity layer", "high viscosity fixing membrane", "compatibility enhancing membrane" and "concentration transition layer of liner high polymer (LHP) & surfactants" from every gas phase centre to the bulk water. "Surface tension reducing membrane", "high viscosity layer" and "high viscosity fixing membrane" bond closely to pack air forming "air-bag", "compatibility enhancing membrane" and "concentration transition layer of LHP & surfactants" absorb outside "air-bag" to form "incompact zone". From another point of view, "air-bag" and "incompact zone" compose micro-bubble. Dynamic changes of "incompact zone" enable micro-bubble to exist lonely or aggregate together, and lead the whole fluid, which can wet both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface, to possess very high viscosity at an extremely low shear rate but to possess good fluidity at a higher shear rate. When the water-based micro-bubble drilling fluid encounters leakage zones, it will automatically regulate the sizes and shapes of the bubbles according to the slot width of fracture, the height of cavern as well as the aperture of openings, or seal them by making use of high viscosity of the system at a very low shear rate. Measurements of the rheological parameters indicate that water-based micro-bubble drilling fluid has very high plastic viscosity, yield point, initial gel, final gel and high ratio of yield point and plastic viscosity. All of these properties make the multiphase flow system meet the requirements of petroleum drilling industry. Research on interface between gas and bulk water of this multiphase flow system can provide us with information of synthesizing effective agents to enlarge the application of micro-bubble in petroleum industry. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.