Research and Application of New Technology of Bionic Enhanced Wellbore and Strong Lubrication Water-Based Drilling Fluid

Abstract

After more than a century of development, drilling fluid technology has become capable of dealing with various extreme conditions. As the exploration and development targets shift towards complex oil and gas resources, however, the geological and surface conditions encountered get increasingly complex, which poses a greater challenge to drilling fluid. In this paper, bionics is introduced into the field of drilling fluids, imitating the characteristics, functions, structures, and principles of mussels and earthworms, and a bionic wall-fixing agent with side chains containing catechol functional groups to strengthen the wellbore is prepared. A bionic bonding lubricant that when making the direct friction between the two is changed to the sliding between the membranes is prepared. Compared with the advanced technology introduced from abroad, the strength of the rock is not only reduced but increased by more than 14%, the friction reduction rate is improved by 12.3%. Their mechanism of action and influencing factors are revealed from the macro and micro perspectives. Combined with the formation conditions encountered, other treatment agents are applied to develop a novel technology of bionic strengthened borehole and high lubricity water-based drilling fluid with comparable inhibition and lubricity to oil-based drilling fluid. In comparison with technology, the rate of well collapse is reduced by as much as 82.6%, the accident rate of stuck pipe is brought down by as much as 86.4%, the complication of stuck block is reduced by as much as 79.7%, and the overall cost is lowered by more than 30%. It is truly a safe, efficient, economic, environmentally friendly drilling fluid technology.