LEVEL 1 CAPABILITY
DRILLING | Level 2| Capability
FLUID SOLUTIONS Water-Based
(if applicable)
Systems
BaraShale™ Lite Fluid System
For Fields with Salt Formations and Low Fracture Pressures
CHALLENGE BENEFITS
Unconventional and Mature Fields with salt formations and low fracture pressures »» Helps maximize drilling efficiency
pose a challenge for standard water-based drilling fluids. Increases wellbore stability
Increases hole cleaning effiiciency
Freshwater or cut brine systems Increases ROP
can cause extreme washout and Decreases disposal volume for easy
dissolution of the salt. This can handling and safer transport
result in operators losing cement Cleans up like a standard water-based
to the formation during cementing fluid
jobs as well as creating the need for »» Helps Reduce Costs
operators to place additional strings Reduces downhole losses, salt washout
of casing to secure the wellbore Re-usable for multiple wells
before drilling ahead. Requires minimal dilution
The low fracture gradients in FEATURES
these weak formations increase »» Direct Emulsion System
the likelihood of encountering lost »» Brine with 10-50% Diesel base
circulation and water / gas influxes. »» Proprietary emulsifier technology
Cut brine systems struggle to »» Straightforward produce mix
perform at the low weights required »» Highly maneuverable mud weight
to prevent losses while a typical salt-saturated system being utilized in this type of »» Tolerant of water flows, cement, acid gas,
field will have a higher density than the lower sections of some wells can hold back. oil-based mud displacement and weight-up
»» Compatible with water-based/brine
chemicals
OVERVIEW APPLICATIONS
Halliburton’s BaraShale™ Lite Water-based Drilling Fluid is »» Intermediate sections
engineered to more efficiently drill in fields that contain »» Salt formations and underlying weak, loss-
salt formations with low fracture gradients. The system prone formations
contains a proprietary emulsifier that tightly combines »» Where rapid density reductions may be
the base fluid, which consists of brine to prevent salt required to prevent mud losses
washout, and oil to lighten the mud weight. The result is
a fluid system that prevents lost circulation and washout
while minimizing dilution and waste volumes.
BaraShale™ Lite sample, 2.5
months after mixing
LEVEL 1 CAPABILITY
DRILLING | Level 2| Capability
FLUID SOLUTIONS Water-Based
(if applicable)
Systems
INCREASE DRILLING EFFICIENCY
In addition to the prevention of lost circulation and washout while minimizing dilution
and waste volumes, operational efficiency is also enhanced by reducing the need for
displacements and enabling mix on the fly instead of batch mixing of the fluid. Field
brine can also be used as the base fluid rather than trucking in fresh brine; and unlike
other water-based fluids, this fluid can be re-used on multiple wells.
REDUCE COSTS
Not only can the BaraShale Lite fluid system help lower costs through the reduction
of downhole losses, salt washout, dilution, and waste volumes, but operators may
also be able to change casing designs so that salt sections and lower formations can
be drilled together, eliminating the need to run extra casing strings.
MANAGING DRILLING FLUID VOLUMES AND DILUTION
Table 1 below compares the calculated amounts of freshwater and diesel that would
be required to cut a 10.0 lb/gal saturated salt brine to a 9.5 lb/gal density. A reduction
like this might be required to reduce or eliminate downhole losses in weaker
formations. More than twice the volume of freshwater is needed. BaraShale™ Lite
can achieve a density below 10.0 lb/gal with salt saturation, and can be used to build
stable emulsions which show no hydrocarbon separation after several weeks.
WHY WATER-BASED?
A high-performance oil-based mud can be engineered to successfully drill in this
environment; however, these systems tend to generate a greater volume of waste
which can result in higher disposal costs and higher risks to operators that have to
dispose of the cuttings. Water-based drilling fluids can help minimize these waste
volumes.
CASE STUDY
The BaraShale Lite system was recently applied on several wells in the U.S. Delaware
Basin. The system delivered outstanding performance with rate of penetration higher
than the operator’s average. The operator saw a decrease in washout and downhole
losses compared to wells previously drilled in the same location. Additionally, fluid
waste haul-off costs were 70 percent of those for previous wells.
Table 1. Calculated Dilution Volumes to Reduce Fluid Density(based on one barrel)
Brine system Water Diesel
Dilution fluid 8.345 7.010 lb/gal
Starting Density 10.00 10.00 lb/gal
Desired density 9.50 9.50 lb/gal
Amount dilution needed 0.43 0.20 bbls
Ending Volume 1.43 1.20 bbls
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