high-pressure-and-high-temperature-hpht-lost-circulation-material-lcm-testing

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation.

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National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

To understand why current LCMs are not successful in sealing fractures, we wanted to establish an initial point, a baseline, testing conventional LCMs typically used in geothermal operations. We experimented with 12 different LCM with different characteristics, shapes, and sizes under high-temperature conditions.

HPHT LCM Fluid Loss Tests.xlsx

Rheology tests were performed up to 200C, and we found that some of the most popular LCMs, such as sawdust, cottonseed hulls, or walnuts, are prone to thermal degradation. Once the LCM degrades, its sealing capability is highly affected, evidenced in the high volume of filtration and the limited sealing pressure that the sealed fracture can stand before reopening.

HPHT LCM Rheogolgy Test Results.xlsx

The particle size analysis showed that irregular shapes and larger particle sizes have reduced the specific surface area per mass unit, making the heat concentrated in a smaller area, exposing these materials to thermal degradation. Conversely, fine granular materials have larger specific surface areas, and the heat is distributed in a larger area, making these materials more resistant to thermal degradation.

LCM PSD Anaylsis.xlsx

ARMA paper - "Wellbore Strengthening for Geothermal Applications: Experimental Study of Thermal Degradation of LCM to Address Wellbore Tensile Failure". The results are from three kinds of tests: HPHT LCM Rheology, LCM PSD Analysis, and HPHT LCM Fluid Loss Tests. The paper was prepared for presentation at the 55th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium held in Houston, Texas, USA, 20-23 June 2021. ARMA 21-2059. 

Wellbore Strengthening for Geothermal Applications.pdf

Geothermics paper - "Rheological investigation of effect of high temperature on geothermal drilling fluids additives and lost circulation materials". The paper was published in Geothermics 96 (2021) 102219.

Rheological Investigation of Effect of High Temperature.pdf

JERT paper - "Screening of Lost Circulation Materials for Geothermal Applications: Experimental Study at High Temperature". The paper was published in the Journal of Energy Resources Technology 144(3), 033008.

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