Formate matters-issue-9

DMK chose solids-free potassium formate
brines over invert oil-based muds for drilling
long horizontal wells to increase speed and
bit life in the hard abrasive shales of Montney.
Nick Legacy, DMK Technical Manager, explains:
“The benefits of drilling with high-density,
solids-free brine have led to significant
cost and time savings for operators. These
savings come from increased ROP, longer
bit life, record bit runs, improved horizontal
wellbore cleaning, better casing cement jobs,
lower surge/swab pressures, lower ECDs,
effective formation inhibition, improved kick
detection, ease of use and, most importantly,
no corrosion damage.”
Improved economics
Nick continues: “We have been able to knock
days off each horizontal section as well as
decreasing the number of bits needed. We
typically see ROP improvements of 30 to 50%
and bit runs that are consistently twice as
long as those with OBMs. We clean and reuse
our formate systems from well to well with
the same brine system currently being used
on over ten consecutive wells and counting”.
The team at DMK believes the high thermal
conductivity of potassium formate brine
compared to oil-based muds provides more
efficient bit cooling and might be one of the
factors responsible for extending bit life.
Elie Mayer, when working as Senior Drilling
Engineer with EnCana, also experienced
significant ROP improvements and describes
the effect of potassium formate fluid as a
“step change” over earlier fluid solutions. He
explains: “The fluid is inhibitive. After drilling,
caliper logs displayed the same response
as invert drilling caliper logs. The ROP
improvement allowed us to cut our lateral
drilling time in half! We then extended use of
this fluid to the intermediate sections as well
as the horizontals with similar results.”
Solids- and polymer-free
The secret of DMK’s success is its
determination to run potassium formate
brine as solids-free drilling fluid, utilising
solids-control equipment and flocculants to
maintain it in solids-free condition. Also, in a
radical departure from convention, DMK uses
formate fluid without viscosifiers or fluid-loss
polymers. Nick Legacy says: “By using solids-
free potassium formate brine to control
density, we expose the disadvantages of
relying on solid materials to increase fluid
density. A fluid designed with a minimalistic
rheological profile has many benefits. Fluid
flow is almost always turbulent, even at fairly
low pump rates, which provides excellent
horizontal wellbore cleaning without cuttings
beds forming. Having minimal suspension
properties allows effective flocculation of
solids on surface to maintain our solids-
free system. Parasitic pressure losses in
the circulating system are greatly reduced,
which leads to lower system pressures”.
Elie Mayer also notes these effects when
working for Encana: “As the formate reduced
circulating pressure by 20 to 30% compared
to an OBM system at same density and flow
rate, there was no need to upgrade the rig to
drill the 3000 m laterals.”
Branching out
Nick Legacy of DMK is optimistic about the
future of potassium formate: “We have
expanded on our success in Montney
horizontals by exploring other areas and
formations that may see improvements with
the unique range of properties formate brines
possess. As these brine systems can be
very inhibitive, we have had success drilling
intermediate and build sections with our
formate mud systems. We are continuing to
explore new applications and are testing new
products to further improve performance and
scope of our formate-based drilling fluids”.
For more information, please visit dmkltd.ca/
formate.
Page 2
Cabot expands infrastructure
Page 3
New drilling and completion method
cuts Petronas’ costs in Malaysia
Page 4
The heat is on
Page 4
Win a GoPro action
camera!
FORMATE MATTERS
Thefastestdrillinthewest
SinceJune2013,DMKDrillingFluidshassuccessfullydrilledover 100wellswithpotassiumformate
brineintheMontneyshaleformationandother unconventionalshalefieldsinwesternCanadafor
operatorssuchasParamountResources,EnCana,ShellCanadaandProgressEnergy.
DMKusespotassiumformatefluidwithout
viscosifiersorfluid-losspolymersinitswest
Canadiandrillingoperations
Potassiumformatebrineincreasesdrillingspeed
andreducescostsinabrasiveMontneyshales
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
5500
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Depth(mMD)
Days
Kakwa Montney – main hole only
Invert
DMK Performance Fluid
READ ON
Issue no. 9 – August/September 2014 NEWS AND OPINION FROM CABOT formatebrines.com
PHOTO:BLACKFOXIMAGES/ALAMY

Allan Grossart
Allan Grossart, 45, joins Cabot Specialty
Fluids as Regional Technical Service
Manager. Previously, he worked 12 years
for Total and four years for Baker Hughes,
lastly as European Marketing Manager for
Drilling Fluids and Upstream Chemicals.
Allan says: “The new role with Cabot gives
me the opportunity to build on and utilise
my experience and expertise to identify
opportunity areas for cesium formate,
create sustainable growth and play a
key role in delivering high standardsof
customerservice.”
Allan is married with two children aged
one and four. He has a PhD in Chemistry
from the University of Cambridge and
enjoys golf, cinema and travel.
2 – FORMATE MATTERS Issue no. 9 – August/September 2014
NickCross,PresidentofAdvancedTechnologies
and EMEA in Cabot Corporation and General
Manager for Specialty Fluids, explains the
increase in use: “Existing customers are
placing new orders as they roll out cesium
formate-basedfluidsinmulti-wellprogrammes,
while using cesium formate brine more
often as combined drilling and completion
fluids. In addition, new customers are
utilising cesium formate for the first time,
particularly in challenging HPHT fields. This
increased activity is particularly centred in
the Norwegian sector of the North Sea and
new basins in India, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.”
New contracts include a multi-well drilling
and completion programme in Valemon,
completionoperationsinGudrunandperforation
and completion in Brynhild. These three
fields are located in the Norwegian sector of
the North Sea. In addition, Cabot supplies
cesium formate for multi-well completions,
packer fluids and kill fluids in Malaysia,
Brunei and India.
Cabot is recruiting a significant number of
experienced field engineers globally, while
promoting the most practiced of their current
team to senior operational positions. Matt
Wood, with previous experience from BP and
Cabot, is appointed Product Manager for
cesium with responsibility for optimising
global operations – including the fine cesium
chemicals business – and becomes Site
Manager, Aberdeen. Christian Busengdal is
promotedtoBusinessDirector,NorthSea,while
retainingresponsibilityforalloperationsin
Norway.AlanCarnegieisadvancedtoDirector
of Global Business Development and APMEA
Region with accountability for all business
development activity outside the North Sea.
A vital part of Cabot’s strategy is its innovative
chemical leasing model and reclamation of
cesium formate for reuse in new wells. This
sustainable business model reduces
operating costs and minimises environmental
impact. Building further on this unique
approach, financing of new plants in Aberdeen
and Bergen give a three-fold increase in
global reprocessing capacity, with additional
investment in mixing facilities and bulk
storage in Norway adding to the improvement
in infrastructure.
“As applications for cesium formate increase
and our customers’ wells become more
challenging, we need infrastructure to meet
this demand. I’m confident that our improved
organisation and increase in processing
capacity, together with other investment,
ensures supply and optimal service in the
years to come,” concludes Nick Cross.
Excluding francium, cesium has the lowest
boiling and melting points, highest vapour
pressure, highest density and lowest
ionisation potential of all alkali metals, and
these important characteristics are directly
related to how it’s used.
Cabot supplies highly pure cesium in
crystalline and solution forms for a wide
range of applications as cesium carbonate,
cesium chloride, cesium fluoride, cesium
formate, cesium hydroxide, cesium nitrate
and cesium sulfate.
Cesium use is driven by the economic benefit
enabled by improved product performance:
fine cesium chemicals enable customers
to improve process performance, increase
yields, reduce cycle times and prevent or
mitigate pollution.
Fine cesium chemicals therefore constitute
a small-but-critical component in a wide
range of chemical applications, primarily for
catalysis and as strong bases in chemical
production, such as pigments, polyols and
automotive brazing fluxes. They are also
used in bio-medical research for DNA/RNA
separation, defence products, active
pharmaceuticals ingredients and pollution
abatement.
Cabotexpands infrastructure
Followingunprecedenteddemandfor cesiumformate,Cabotisundertakingsubstantialinvestment
inbothpeopleandplanttoexpandandoptimiseitsoperations.
NEW PEOPLE
DID YOU KNOW?
Beyondoilfield
Cesium’s unique properties mean that demand is rapidly
growing for use in non-oilfield applications.
Solid magnesium floating on high-density cesium formate brine
Matt Wood, Cesium Product Manager and Site Manager, with cesium formate fluid standing ready
for recycling into clear reusable brine at Cabot Specialty Fluids’ headquarters, Aberdeen
PHOTO:COURTESYOFTHEODOREGRAY

25 – 27 August IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference,
Bangkok, Thailand
20 – 22 October 10th Annual HPHT Wells Summit,
London, UK
10 – 12 December 8th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC),
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Issue no. 9 – August/September 2014 FORMATE MATTERS – 3
Two down
Two wells located 200 km offshore Sarawak
were drilled to depths of 1,735 to 1,847 metres
True Vertical Depth Drill Floor (TVDDF) in
78-metre-deep water. A 7” pre-drilled liner
was installed across the deviated (26 – 30º)
100 to 200 metre open-hole sections.
Target gas production was 100 MMscfd
from each well.
High reservoir pressure called for fluids
with equivalent mud weight greater than
1.80 g/cm3
/15 lb/gal to maintain well
control. The low-solids formate fluids
chosen by Petronas needed to:
1) Minimise formation damage and ensure
maximum gas production rates.
2) Minimise the amount of solids passing
through gas processing facilities on
production start-up.
Low solids, low losses
Previous drilling experience in the area
suggested a high probability of losing large
fluid volumes to the reservoir while drilling
conventionallyinoverbalance.Tominimisefluid
losses,Petronasused1.52g/cm3
/12.7lb/gal
statically and dynamically underbalanced
formate drilling fluid in combination with MPD
technology to control overbalance through
backpressure. The reservoir section of each
well was successfully and safely drilled
with low-solids potassium formate fluid at
150-psioverbalancewithaverageROPof15–17
metres/hour without significant fluid losses.
On reaching target depth, the potassium
formate drilling fluid was displaced to kill
weight 1.81 g/cm3
/15.1 lb/gal low-solids
formate brine tripping fluid before running
the 7” pre-drilled liner. The tripping fluid
was then displaced to 1.81 g/cm3
/15.1 lb/gal
clear formate brine for the upper completion.
Upper and lower completions were installed
in 40 hours and 29 hours respectively with
formate completion fluid losses averaging
210 bbl per well. The wells cleaned-up
naturally without acidisation using a rapid
bean-up method that achieved full clean
up within 11 hours. Low-solids loading of
formate brines ensured that well test
separators were not damaged or blocked
by back-produced solids during the
clean-up phase.
Full flow
Multi-rate well flow testing showed that
both wells could produce at absolute open
flow (AOF) of over 150 MMscfd, which is
50% higher than estimated in the field
development plan. These AOF figures
compare favourably with AOF of 35 MMscfd
achieved from two drill-stem tests on the
original exploration well drilled in 2005. An
acid stimulation treatment with 15% HCl
and gel diverters in one development well
(SS-1) was unable to improve gas flow
rates or PI, suggesting that formate fluids
had already successfully delivered
highly-connective wells.
Born to produce
This first-ever deployment of an
underbalanced formate brine system for
drilling a carbonate reservoir in MPD mode
reduced costs and improved safety by:
- Eliminating lost circulation events and
associated fluid losses
- Facilitating use of lower-cost, lower-
density brine for drilling
- Providing early kick and loss detection
The combination of formate brine and MPD
technology improved project economics
further by delivering highly productive
wells that did not require acid stimulation.
References
1. IPTC 16697, March 2013.
2. IADC/SPE 164573, April 2013.
3. SPE 165761, October 2013.
Newdrillingandcompletionmethod
cutsPetronas’costsinMalaysia
Petronashassuccessfullyusedanewcost-savingtechniquefor drillingandcompletinggaswellsin
highlypressuredfracturedcarbonatereservoirspronetoseverecirculationlosses1–3
.
MEET US AT
Gas, condensate and water flow rates during the initial clean-up phase of well SS-1. The well was
producing more than 150,000 MMscfd of gas and over 6,000 bbl/day of condensate within nine hours
of opening the well
Petronas brings its wells quickly on track with
minimal losses using cesium/potassium
formate brine

Unscramble each group of letters to
discover nine words. Fit the words across
the grid to find a tenth word composed
of the letters in the highlighted boxes.
This is the missing word we’re looking for.
Answer the puzzle correctly and you’ll
have a chance of winning one of three
GoPro Hero3 silver action cameras. These
versatile, wi-fi-enabled, waterproof video
cameras are ideal for capturing all the
action from your own perspective. Whether
its extreme or otherwise, you’ll be able to
relive your sporting experience again and
again. To enter, please send your answers to
formatematters@cabotcorp.com or fax
(44) 1224 870089 by 30 October 2014.
Winners are the first three people with
correct answers drawn randomly from the
list of entrants. Good luck!
However, as the oil and gas industry moves
towards ultra and extreme HPHT jobs, there
is a need to push the temperature limit
even further. Consequently, a study was
completed to identify synthetic polymers
compatible with formate brines that perform
under such extreme temperature conditions.
Synthetic polymers used in drilling fluids
are very different from common synthetic
polymers used in everyday life, such as
plastics, rubbers and nylons as they are
mostly water soluble. The main types of
synthetic polymers used in drilling include
polyacrylate, polyacrylamide, 2-(acrylamide)-
2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, cationic
polymers, copolymers and ter-polymers.
A total of ten synthetic polymers from
several suppliers were screened for viscosity
stability. These synthetic polymers were
added to a cesium/potassium formate
brine blend together with xanthan gum.
The xanthan gum performed two functions.
Firstly, it contributed to initial fluid viscosity
before it broke down after several hours at
very high temperatures. Secondly, it helped
to disperse synthetic polymers before they
started hydrating.
Two polymers – HE100 and HE150 supplied
by Drilling Specialty Fluids – showed
outstanding performance during testing.
These polymers were statically aged in
cesium/potassium formate brine for 64
hours at 250°C/482°F with no degradation.
In fact, the polymers actually showed signs
of slightly increased hydration during the
final period of temperature exposure. Cabot
is unable to test polymers above 250°C, but
is optimistic that the temperature ceiling is
much higher.
References:
1) Formate Technical Manual, Section 5,
Cabot, 2009 (www.formatebrines.com/
manual).
2) SPE 86503, 2004.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Viscosityat300rpm/cP
Synthetic polymer type
BHR
AHR (16-hrs)
AHR (48-hrs)
4 – FORMATE MATTERS Issue no. 9 – August/September 2014
TheheatisonFormatebrinesareuniqueastheystabilisexanthangumand
otherbiopolymerstotemperaturessignificantlyhigher thanany
otherbrines1)
.Fromthecommonlyusedformatebrines,
potassiumformatestabilisesthesepolymerstothehighest
temperature–16hoursat200°C/392°F 2)
.
Synthetic polymers showing excellent compatibility with formate brines
For further information please contact Cabot Specialty Fluids Ltd., Cabot House, Hareness Circle, Altens Industrial Estate, Aberdeen. AB12 3LY. UK. T: (44) 1224 897229. E: formatematters@cabotcorp.com
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER. This newsletter is designed to provide information of a general nature and is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation and advice in a particular matter. The opinions and interpretations expressed within are those of
the author only and may not reflect those of other identified parties. Cabot Specialty Fluids Ltd. does not warrant the accuracy and completeness of this newsletter, nor endorse or make any representations about its content. In no event will Cabot Specialty
Fluids Ltd., Cabot Corporation or any of their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors or employees be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or reliance on the contents of this newsletter.
© 2014 Cabot Corporation, M.A.-U.S.A. All rights reserved. CABOT is a registered trademark of Cabot Corporation.
Printed on recycled paper
COMPETITIONTECHNICAL FORUM
AND FINALLY...
Lostforwords
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is
time to pause and reflect.”
Mark Twain (1835–1910), American author
WINa GoPro Hero3
camera!
Cabot’s research laboratory completed
compatibility tests between synthetic polymers
and formate brines under extreme temperatures
YEAHV
DOSSIL
REEF
SIMCUE
TEAMROF
BINER
ORF
FIDFCILUT
LEWLS
For the answers to the previous competition, or for the complete rules of this puzzle, please
email formate.matters@cabotcorp.com.
Viscosity change of 2.0 g/cm3
cesium/potassium formate brine with 2 lb/gal
synthetic polymer and 2 lb/gal Xanvis after aging at 185°C/365°F

Formate matters-issue-9

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