N-FLOW Breaker Systems

High Performance Water-Based Fluid

Alternative inhibiting salt in WBM helps raise environmental acceptability in rain forest locations
Location: Papua New Guinea

Additional outlay was determined by OSL to be an acceptable

investment considering the environmental benefits of the

system. A trial using the KAc PerformaDril system was planned and executed on the Moran 15 well. ECONOMIC VALUE CREATED The Moran 15 well

OPERATORS CHALLENGE Halliburton Baroid has

been providing drilling fluids for Oil Search Ltd (OSL) in the
Rain Forest region of the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) since 2004. PERFORMADRIL high performance water-based drilling fluid has been used on the more challenging wells in the area, which contains KCl as the

was recognized both as a technical and an environmental

success. Subsequent wells, Mananda 5 and UDT 13 confirmed the appropriate application of the system to the technical

inhibiting salt. This chloride ion can be recognized as a

contaminant in some land operations. Periodically, concerns

challenges encountered in the Southern Highlands of Papua

New Guinea. Potassium Acetate has now been accepted as the

from local landowners regarding the impact of the drilling

operations were causing disruption and downtime, becoming costly for the operator. OSL was seeking to mitigate environmental concerns and improve their reputation as environmentally friendly in the region. HALLIBURTONS SOLUTION Drawing from

inhibiting salt of choice for Oil Search Limited including the

more challenging intervals as well as in the less demanding sections. This system allowed many of the longer step-out, directional,

rock tectonic and wellbore stability issues to be reduced in the

drilling of these increasingly more difficult wells. It was

experience in other geographical areas Baroid engineers

determined that Potassium Acetate (KAc) could be used instead of KCl in the drilling fluid system as a more environmentally acceptable inhibiting salt alternative. The acetate ion bio-degrades to carbon dioxide and water when

concluded that the technical objectives of the well would not

have been achieved without the use of the PERFORMADRIL system.

discharged to the environment. Laboratory testing confirmed

that properties of the PERFORMADRIL system were not

diminished by the use of KAc in place of KCl.

A cost evaluation of the change to KAc from KCl determined that the KAc PERFORMADRIL system would be approximately 10 - 20% more expensive than the existing

KCl PERFORMADRIL system, but this

A typical rig-site, high in the Rain Forests of the Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
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