Overview

In reviewing the fluids-related papers to be featured in this issue, I was struck by the wide range of choices that exists for drilling and completion fluids today. We are no longer constrained to the use of a handful of basic water- or oil-based fluids, clear brines, or simple pneumatic fluids to do our job.

Likewise, we are no longer limited by a few surface measurements and basic concepts to describe and understand the physical behavior of the fluids that are used. Clearly, this increased selection and our ability to test, predict, monitor, and understand the behavior of all wellbore fluids have contributed greatly to the success of our industry in drilling increasingly complex and challenging wells.

Professionals who make decisions about fluids have more challenges than ever before. These challenges include overcoming marketing glitz and information overload to understand when and where true benefits can be derived from use of nonstandard fluids and more-complex-fluid analysis.

Normally, I get on my “plastic-viscosity/yield-point” soapbox here, but what comes to mind is that we are challenged to remember and use the basic engineering science behind what we are doing, most of which was described by the previous generation of SPE professionals in the classic papers with paper numbers below 10000.

I encourage you to read the summaries and review the list of “additional reading” papers that follow. Then I challenge you to take the next step and read the entire paper for the topic that is of greatest interest to you. And once you have done that, review the references and consider the classic SPE papers that laid the foundation for the work being presented—if you have never read them, do yourself a favor and take the time to do so.

Regardless of whether you are evaluating the most-challenging high-cost well to be drilled this year helping to access the next deepwater giant field or a series of assembly-line low-cost wells that help the industry access unconventional resources, knowing your fluids choices and understanding when and where to use them can make the difference between success and failure.

Formate-Based Reservoir-Drilling Fluid Meets High-Temperature Challenges

Drilling-Fluids Displacement and Cased-Hole Cleaning

Fate of Nonaqueous-Drilling-Fluid Cuttings Discharged From a Deepwater Well

Paul D. Scott, SPE, is Principal Engineer–Fluids with ConocoPhillips in the Wells Technology Group supporting worldwide drilling operations as a drilling-fluids specialist. Previously, he was with Marathon Oil Co., Atlantic Richfield Co., and M-I Drilling Fluids. Scott has a broad background of field experience and technical expertise in all aspects of drilling and completion fluids. He earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech U. Scott has served on SPE Drilling Conference Program Committees and currently serves on the SPE Drilling Operations Committee, 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Drilling Committee, and JPT Editorial Committee.

Overview

Additional Reading