New microbiocide for water-based frac fluid systems
New BE-9 bactericide can be used to help control bacteria growth in water used as the basis for fracturing fluids.
The company says the quick-acting, long-lasting mocrobiocide helps control slime-forming, iron-oxidizing, and polymer-degrading bacteria encountered in oil field applications and offers the following features:
- It can be used for batch treatments and on-the-fly treatments.
- Aqueous solution can easily be mixed with water.
- Effective over the pH range 2-12.
- Testing shows the bactericide to provide fast and sustained kill.
- Compatible with scale inhibition technology.
- Enables long-term protection since the BE-9 agent is placed at fracturing rate into the fracture network.
- Not susceptible to degradation by ultraviolet light.
- Thermally stable.
- Complements this firm’s water-based fracturing fluid systems including AquaStim fluid system for water fracs, and gel-based systems including Delta Frac, DeepQuest, Sirocco, Hybor, and OmegaFrac fluids
Source: Halliburton Co., Box 3, Houston, TX 77001.
New oil-based drilling fluid system
The MEGADRIL system is a new oil-based drilling fluid solution.
Its chemistry—in a single-drum emulsifier package—maximizes hole quality and penetration rates in difficult formations while minimizing base-oil volumes and reducing the need for secondary additives. The company says its one-drum package helps simplify logistics, treatment levels, and inventory control.
Designed for optimum rheological profiles and intelligent gel strengths, the system helps improve hole cleaning, limits pressure spikes, and lowers downhole losses. These features, combined with a naturally inhibitive chemistry, help achieve hole quality and minimize nonproductive time (NPT).
The system assists in achieving higher penetration rates by promoting the removal of fine low-gravity solids, which also eliminates the need for dilutions. Because the system can be run efficiently at lower than normal oil/water ratios (OWRs), the required volume of base oil can be reduced by as much as 10%, yielding a direct savings on the base-oil cost per well, the firm points out.
In a recent field test in the Bakken shale in North Dakota, the system contributed to penetration rates of 85-100 fph, while its tight rheology helped minimize mud losses and NPT through the troublesome Mission Canyon formation. The 73:27 OWR allowed a savings of $20,000 in diesel costs when compared with a typical 80:20 OWR formulation, the firm says.
Source: M-I Swaco, 5950 North Course Blvd., Houston, TX 77072.