Invert Emulsion Fluids
Advantages
Shale stability
Temperature stability
Lubricity
Corrosion resistance
Stuck pipe prevention
Contaminant resistant
Production protection
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Invert Emulsion Mud
• Water emulsified into oil
–Three phases
•oil (continuous phase)
•water (discontinuous phase)
•solids (discontinuous phase)
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Continuous Phase
• Diesel oil
– Refined crude oil
– Aromatic content (18 to 24 percent)
– Volatile and hazardous components
• Mineral oil
– Refined petroleum oil
– Low to zero aromatic content
– Low toxicity rating
– Environmentally friendly
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Continuous Phase
• Non-petroleum oils
–Esters (derived from vegetable
oils
–No petroleum-derived
hydrocarbons
–No aromatics
–Biodegrades readily
•aerobically and an-aerobically
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Discontinuous Phase
• Water/Brine
• Solids
– Weight material
• Barite
• Hematite
• Baracarb
– Formation
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Typical Products
Emulsifiers
Wetting agents
Viscosifiers
Thinners
Filtration reducers
Densifiers
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Emulsion
• Emulsion
– Dispersion of one immiscible fluid into
another
– Water into oil base
– Microscopically heterogeneous
mixture
• Emulsifier
– Surface active agent
– Decrease interfacial tension
– Soluble in both water and oil
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Emulsifiers
• INVERMUL & INVERMUL NT
– Primary emulsifier
• EZ MUL & EZ MUL NT & NTF
– Improve oil wetting
– High concentrations of divalent salts
– RF systems
• EZ-CORE
– Primary emulsifier
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Wetting Tendency
Moderate oil wetting Strong oil wetting
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Water Wetting Of Solids
• May cause
– Solids to bond with water
– High viscosity and settling
– Loss of filtrate control
• Prevented by the addition of
wettability control agents
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Wetting Agent
• DRILTREAT
– Lecithin liquid dispersion
– Promote oil wetting of solids
– Resistance to water
contamination
– Improve flow properties
• EZ MUL
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Viscosifiers
• Organophilic clays reacted with certain
amines to yield “oil swelling” compounds
– GELTONE II, III, IV, V
– SUSPENTONE
• Polymeric fatty acids are ‘oil dispersible”
materials that enhance low shear rate
viscosities and minimize SAG in high angle
holes
– RM 63
– X-VIS
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Thinners
• “Oil soluble” petroleum sulfonates
and polymeric fatty acid derivatives
• OMC
– Reduce yield point and gel strengths
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Filtration Control
• Organophilic lignite, various asphaltic
materials such as oxidized asphalt,
and gilsonite additives
– DURATONE HT
– AK-70
– BARABLOK
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Density Control
• BAROID
– Ground barium sulfate
– Density to 21 PPG
– Chemically inert
• BARODENSE
– Ground hematite
– Density to 26 PPG
– Chemically inert
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Density Control (continued)
• BARACARB
– Sized Marble
– 5, 25, 50, 150, 600, 2300 grades
– 5, 25, and 50 for density and bridging
for fluid loss control (0-150 micron)
– 50, 150, 600, and 2300 for lost
circulation and squeeze-mix bridging
agents
– Fully soluble in 15% HCl
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Water Phase Salinity
• Required to avoid water transfer and
resulting swelling of formation clays
• Function of formation salinity of the
water in the shale
• Refer to Invert Emulsion Fluids book for
determination of required water phase
salinity
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System Types
• Tight Emulsion
– Borehole stability
• Relaxed Filtrate
– High Drill Rate
• All-Oil Drilling & Coring
– Minimum Formation or Core
Damage
• High Water
– Minimize Oil Retention On
Cuttings
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Diesel Oil Base Systems
• INVERMUL
– Tight filtration control
• INVERMUL RF
– Relaxed filtration control
• INVERMUL 100 (COREDRIL-N)
– 100% diesel oil
• INVERMUL 50/50
– 50% diesel and 50% water
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Mineral Oil Base Systems
• ENVIROMUL
– Tight filtration control
• ENVIROMUL RF
– Relaxed filtration control
• ENVIROMUL 100
– 100% mineral oil
• ENVIROMUL 50/50
– 50% mineral oil and 50% water
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Non Petroleum Base Systems
• PETROFREE
– Biodegradable ester based
system
• ACCOLADE
– Biodegradable ester/IO mix
based system
• ENCORE
– IO based system
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Synthetic Base System
• XP-07
– n-Alkane Mixture CH3-(CH2)X-
CH3 10>X<20
– Satisfy regulatory requirements
on biodegradability and low
toxicity characteristics
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Invert Emulsion Fluid Tests
• Viscosity and density
– must be corrected to down hole temperature
and pressure from surface to total depth
• Alkalinity
– to measure excess lime
• Salinity
– To measure and control water phase salinity
• Electrical stability
– Measure of emulsion stability
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Invert Emulsion Fluid Tests
• FANN 23D Electrical Stability Tester
– Two electrodes 0.061 inches apart
– Alternating current of increasing
frequency
– Screen sample through 12 mesh
– Temperature 120 F
– Stir 15 - 30 seconds
– Do not move probe during test
• Tests emulsion stability of fluid sample
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Invert Emulsion Fluid Tests
• FANN 50
– Viscosity at various shear rates and
temperatures
– Up to 500° F and 1000 psi
• FANN 70
– Up to 500° F and 20,000 psi
• FANN 90
– Dynamic filtration properties and filter
cake
– Through porous medium at downhole
conditions
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Invert Emulsion Fluid Tests
• HAST
– Measures tendency of a fluid to settle
or sag
– Center of mass of test fluid
– Up to 300° F and 45° angle
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Invert Emulsion Fluid Tests
• Particle Size Distribution
– Identify particle sizes in fluid
– Non damaging laser difraction
• Aniline Point
– Relative aromatic content
– Lowest temperature for complete
miscibility of equal volumes of fresh
aniline and base fluid
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End
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