Preventing and Remedying Loss of Circulation Using MR (Magnetorheological) Fluids

The problem of lost circulation became apparent in the early history of the drilling
industry and was magnified considerably when operators began drilling deeper wells
and/or through depleted formations. The industry spends millions of dollars a year to
combat lost circulation and the detrimental effects it propagates, such as lost of rig time,
stuck pipe, side-tracks, blow-outs and, occasionally, the abandonment of expensive
wells. The main objective of this project is to determine whether Magnetorheological
fluids are capable of preventing or remedying the loss of circulation. Experiments using
HTHP (high temperature, high pressure) Filter Test were conducted in order to
conclude the performance of MR fluids in loss circulation prevention and remedying.