Increasing well depths and complication well trajectories are a steady trend of the last decades in the oil and gas industry. Complex well trajectories and large displacement from the vertical lead to an increase in friction factors. It may require the use non-aqueous fluid (NAF) and drilling rigs with a higher lifting capacity. Therefore reducing the coefficient of friction is an actual technological challenge in oil and gas industry. In some cases, reducing the friction coefficient allows drill wells within the limits of project profitability without switching to technologically more complex and expensive solutions. The widely used way to reduce friction coefficient is lubricating additives.
The article considers the state of the lubricant additives market. Despite the variety of products and the abundance of specialized service companies, the industry has not developed uniform technical requirements for lubricant additives. The authors demonstrate differences in the requirements of service companies and note the fact that the requirements for the same class products differ in the same service company. The critical role of model drilling fluid in laboratory lubricity testing is noted. Most service companies and manufacturers use clay slurries in their tests, which significantly differ from the drilling fluids used in well construction. Data demonstrating the difference in friction coefficient reduction in different fluids are presented. Rosneft Oil Company specialists developed a unified testing methodology and a list of technical requirements for lubricant additives taking into account actual drilling conditions. The demonstrated approach was implemented as part of a pilot project at the facilities of RN-Yuganskneftegas LLC.
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