Drilling Fluid Loss Control By Using Oil Palm Fibres

The harsh environment in underground drilling operations encouraged the research
and development of drilling fluids that can fill several crucial roles in the drilling
process. One of the critical problems faced in well drilling operation is the loss of
drilling fluid, namely lost circulation. A method for preventing loss of drilling fluid
into fractures of rock formation includes using lost circulation material. In an attempt
to solve moderate-to-severe lost circulation problems, operators have pumped a
variety of substances down the wellbore to reduce the loss of drilling fluid to a thief
zone. These involve the use of materials that swell in the presence of water and fill
the thief zone area or plug the flow path from the wellbore so that fluid loss ceases.
This project is to study the alternative lost circulation material for drilling operation
in oil and gas industry. The objective of the project is to propose oil palm fibres and
its treatment method to be considered for the usage in loss circulation situation. The
scopes of the study include the understanding of lost circulation and its classification
for drilling operation and investigation on the lost circulation material which can
provide improved fluid loss control. Besides that, the scope of study also includes
the conduct of laboratory experiment on the samples of drilling mud in order to
determine effectiveness for the proposed material and the results can be compared
with the American Petroleum Institute (API) Standards.
The methodologies used can be grouped into five phases. Phase one is information
gathering and literature review. Phase two is preparation of additive which is related
to the oil palm fibres (proposed material). This is followed by conducting sample
analysis on X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM). Next, preparation of mud samples will be conducted to show the influence of
selected variables (different mixture of weighting agents and additive). :Finally, the
rheological experiments are done in laboratory. The anticipated results from the
study are to prove the effectiveness of the use of oil palm fibres as a lost circulation
material in reducing fluid loss.