SPE/IADC 163502

High Performance Water-Based Drilling Fluids - An Environmentally

Friendly Fluid System Achieving Superior Shale Stabilization While Meeting
Discharge Requirement Offshore Cameroon
Anuradee Witthayapanyanon, SPE, Baker Hughes; Jerome Leleux,SPE, Perenco; Julien Vuillemet, Perenco;
Ronan Morvan, Perenco, Andre Pomian,Perenco; Alain Denax, Baker Hughes, and Ronald Bland, SPE, Baker
Hughes

Copyright 2013, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 57 March 2013.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE/IADC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have
not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not
necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or
storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE/IADC copyright.

Abstract
Historically, invert-emulsion drilling fluids are the system-of-choice for drilling offshore Cameroon due to minimum
NPT, high ROPs, ease of maintenance, robust performance under various downhole conditions, and the resulting lower
drilling costs. However, with a regulatory environment moving toward zero discharge, the cost of the waste management
associated with invert-emulsion drilling fluids is diminishing their attractiveness. Therefore, when the operator was planning
to drill their next development well offshore Cameroon (BaF field, Douala Basin), they evaluated high-performance waterbased mud system (HPWBM) alternatives. HPWBM systems offer the potential advantage of offshore discharge of drilled
cuttings and effluents due to absence of oil contamination and lowered waste management costs.
This paper documents the advantages of the selected HPWBM, and its design and performance characteristics in
stabilizing reactive clays/shale. Specially designed chemical components in the HPWBM formulation created an efficient
osmotic membrane, thereby minimizing pore pressure transmission under downhole conditions. This HPWBM system is one
of the first commercial applications of nanotechnology in drilling fluids. The field recap demonstrated that the selected high
performance water-based drilling fluid met expectations by achieving the required drilling performance and high shale
stabilization with zero environmental impact. Finally, the paper reviews the cost reduction in waste management when
switching to the environmentally friendly high performance water-based mud system.
Introduction
Drilling with an overbalanced pressure is a common operational technique used to prevent formation fluids or gas from
entering the wellbore, thereby minimizing a risk of well kick and blow out. However, overbalanced drilling can cause
drilling fluid to invade the formation, resulting in formation damage, differential sticking, and sloughing (wellbore
instability) if the formation consists of highly reactive clay and shale. To avoid this consequences, invert-emulsion drilling
fluids have always been a preferable choice for drilling highly reactive clays and shale formation.
By taking an innovative approach, the high performance water-based drilling fluid (HPWBM) system is formulated with a
concept of total inhibition [1-2]. Unlike a conventional water-based mud system, designed chemical additives are used
explicitly in the formulation to achieve desired drilling characteristics that are similar to invert emulsion mud. The key
feautres of HPWBM are summarized as follows:
High shale stability
Clay and cuttings inhibition
ROP enhancement
Minimized bit balling and accretion
Torque and drag reduction
Environmental compliance
A complementary benefit of being an aqueous-based system is that HPWBM captures the growing need for more ecofriendly drilling fluid than invert emulsion muds. During the past ten years, more stringent regulations on drilling waste
disposal have been implemented worldwide. An example is a zero discharge standard in the North Sea, Caspian, and
Nigeria. Other regions, including the United States, have prohibited or strongly controlled the discharge of oil-contaminated

SPE/IADC 163502

drill cuttings and effluents. The oil and gas industry anticipates that the zero discharge of oil-contaminated drilling wastes
will soon be the global standard. By switching from invert-emulsion drilling fluids (oil-/synthetic-based mud) to a HPWBM
system, operators can achieve substantial cost savings on waste management and logistics. These savings result from the use
of on-site, offshore discharge due to an absence of oil contamination.
In this paper, we discuss an essential mechanism of specially designed chemical additives in the HPWBM to enhance
membrane efficiency and reduce pore pressure transmission, thus maintaining shale stability. Laboratory data is present to
demonstrate a good corelation between laboratory testing and field performance. We will address operators criteria of
evaluating the HPWBM system; and finally, summarize the overall achievements of the HPWBMs drilling campaign.
Field Background
Figure 1 displays the location of Baf field inside the Douala basin, offshore Cameroon. The field lithology (Figure 2)
shows that the sediments are generally composed of a massive claystone section above Base Lace Cretaceous Unconformity
(BLCU) and sand reservoirs and claystones intercalation below the BLCU. The operator has been drilling a number of wells
in these fields, most of which were development wells. According to the operators drilling campaign, a total of three offset
wells were drilled with synthetic-based muds (SBM) and five wells were drilled with HPWBM in the BaF field. Our
reference offset well (Offset well #3) was the last SBM well drilled in late 2005.

Figure 1. A location map of the Baf field in the Douala basin, offshore Cameroon.

SPE/IADC SPE-163502-MS

Figure 2. Lithology of BaF fields.

Operators Selection Criteria for HPWBM
The primary reasons driving the operator to switch from drilling with SBM to the HPWBM system was the increased
enviromental awareness and a potential change in authorized offshore discharge limits of oil-contaminated drilling wastes in
Cameroon. Based on the historic data of the offset well, approximately 1,933 metric ton of oil-contaminated drill cuttings
and 37,834 barrels of waste water were generated from drilling with SBM. With the past practice in 2005, since it was the
SBM, the operator obtained enviromental permit that allowed to discharge untreated synthetic-based wastes from the
platforms directly to the ocean. However, in the foregoing, there is a strong anticipation that Cameroon government will
begin placing stronger restrictions on ocean discharges of SBM and oil-contaminated cuttings. If the regulatory agency leans
toward a zero discharge limit, the operator will be liable for the transfer of oil-contaminated drill cuttings to land for any
further treatment (Thermal Desorption, Stabilization and/or Reinjection). The combined costs of SBM, solids control, waste
transpotation and management will start diminishing the attractiveness of SBM drilling performances.
The secondary consideration was that the operator has already used the HPWBM system for shale inhibition onshore in
the Peruvian jungle, Columbia, Cameroon and Gabon. The system showed success in achieving high shale inhibition,
preventing clay and cutting hydration, and reducing bit balling. The operation was successful without any hole-related
problems.
Therefore, when the operator planned to drill the next offshore development well in BaF field, they selected the HPWBM
with a saturated NaCl system as an alternative to traditional SBM. This selection offered the potential advantage of offshore
discharge of drilled cuttings and effluents due to absence of oil contamination, sustained high shale inhibition and excellent
drilling performance.
HPWBM Design
Since 2011, the operator began transitioning from oil-based to an aqueous-based drilling fluid in the BaF field. The
HPWBM with saturated NaCl was selected as the drilling fluid system to achieve shale stability, clay and cutting inhibition,
and minimized bit balling and accretion. Table 1 summarizes major components of the HPWBM formulation.
The shale formation is known to act as a semi-permeable (selective) membrane because the clay-rich matrix hinders the
movement of some solutes [1, 4-5]. The selectivity of the shale membrane increases with decreasing shale permeability.
Therefore, the design of HPWBM formulation is aimed to form in-situ, effective sealing under downhole conditions,
improving the efficiency of the semi-permeable membrane. In this work, the HPWBM components attributing to shale
stability were sealing polymer, aluminum complex, and NaCl brine. Due to its extremely small particle size (D50 of 200
nm), a nano-sized polymer sealant provides a mechanical plug for shale pore throats and molding shale microfractures, while
the aluminum complex chemically precipitates inside the pore throats and shale matrix due to the change in pH or the

SPE/IADC 163502

interaction with multivalent cation ions in the formation [6]. A co-precipiation of sealant polymer and aluminum complex
forms good membrane sealing that imposes a water flow from wellbore to the formation side. In addition, the HPWBM
formulation utilized the NaCl brine to lower water activity of mud than shale formation (Amud < Ashale) and increase osmostic
gradient causing the fluid to flow from inside the pore to the wellbore. An increase in membrane efficiency and osmotic
pressure differential of the HPWBM lead to a significant reduction in the pore pressure transmission [7-8]. Shown in Figure
3 is the laboratory result camparing the pore pressure transmission between the HPWBM with saturated NaCl system and oilbased mud (OBM). The result suggestes that the HPWBM is able to achieve pore pressure reduction close to OBM system.
Table 1. Key components of HPWBM formulation
Component

Function

Sealing polymer

Shale stability

Aluminum complex

Shale stability

Clay hydration suppressant (CHS)

Clay inhibition

PHPA

Cutting encapsulation

Surfactant blend

ROP enhancer

Monovalent salt

Osmotic control/shale inhibition

Figure 3. Pore pressure transmission comparison between HPWBM and OBM

One of the most technical challenges to achieve with water-based muds is to control the hydration of reactive clays. Clays
consist of negatively charged aluminosilicate layers kept together by cations. Clay hydration begins with a surface hydration
(a bonding between water molecules with oxygen on clay surface) and ionic hydration (the hydration of interlayer cations
with surrounding shells of water molecules). Their ability to adsorb water between the layers results in strong repulsive
forces and interlayer expansion (swelling) [9]. Severe clay hydration and dispersion in water-based mud can lead to poor
fluid rheological properties, such as high PV and YP, gumbo, bit balling, and accretion. In the HPWBM formulation, an
environmentally acceptable water-soluble clay hydration suppressant (CHS) was used in conjuction with monovalent salt (in
this case is the NaCl) to reduce the swelling and dispersion of highly reactive clays via a cation exchange mechanism. A
similar chemical inhibition approach can also be applied to the drill cutting inhibition. Additionally, an encapsulating,
polymer like partially-hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) is employed to minimize cutting disintegration, yielding good
solid removal efficiency through solid control equipment.
Drilling Performance Evaluation: Offset vs. HPWBM Test Wells
Offset Well Recap
The offset well (well#3) was a J type directional well drilled in late 2005. The recap reported that there were two sections
(12-1/4 in. and 8-1/2 in.) drilled with SBM. The 12-1/4 in. section drilled with 1.25 SG SBM was the directional drilling
with final inclination of 68o and an average ROP of 17.5 m/hr. The following section (8-1/2 in.) was drilled with 1.16 SG
SBM with an average ROP of 11 m/hr and final inclination of 90o, then slotted in 7 in. to TD with liner run with gas lift
completion. The well TVD was 700 m.

SPE/IADC SPE-163502-MS

Test Wells HPWBM Achievements

The operator performed a one-year campaign to evaluate the HPWBM system for offshore drilling from March 2011 to
March 2012. There were a total of five wells drilled with the HPWBM system in the BaF field. This paper reviews the
performance of HPWBM drilled in the last three wells (well#6, #7, and #8 - reference test wells). In these three test wells,
the HPWBM with staturated salt system was employed in the 12-1/4 in. and 8- in. hole sections. The well profile and the
general information of both offset well and test wells are summarized in Table 2.
Table 2. Well profile and general information of the offset and test wells.
Propetry

Offset well

Well #6

Well #7

Well # 8

Duration

End of 2005

Sep 6 - Sep 29, 2011

Jan 7 - Feb 1, 2012

Feb 2 - 20, 2012

Well profile

NA

Development

Other

Appraisal

Mud system for 12-1/4

in. and 8-1/2 in. sections

SBM

HPWBM with
saturated salt

HPWBM with
saturated salt

HPWBM with
saturated salt

Total length drilled

1,350 m

1,150 m

1,480 m

1,434 m

Maximum TVD

700 m

1041 m

1017 m

1033 m

Maximum deviation

90

34

58

72

When implementing the new drilling fluid system, HPWBM, it is common to take some time to enhance the learning
experience. Well #6 was considered one of the preliminary HPWBM wells to achieve the technical breakthrough in utilizing
a water-based mud system for drilling in offshore Cameroon. Operator recap indicated that the 12-1/4 in. hole section drilled
with the 1.35 to 1.4 SG HPWBM mud provides good ROP of 14.6 m/hr. The section TD was achieved in two days with no
back reaming. E-logging with a 6-arm caliper (Figure 4) shows no washout with an average of 12-1/4 in. mean ID. Both
casing and cementing operations were completed without any issues. Similar findings were also observed in the 8-1/2 in.
section drilled with 1.25 1.30 SG HPWBM.

Figure 4. E-logging image with 6-arm calliper, GR, DSI Sonic of the 12-1/4 in. and 8-1/2 in. hole section
of the HPWBM well #6.
Figure 5 shows the plot of the measured depth (MD) vs. day on location comparison between three HPWBM wells for
both the 12-1/4 in. and 8-1/2 in. sections. In comparison to well #6, the operator achieves the final section TD four and ten
days faster in well #7 and #8, respectively. The section daily mud report (DMR) of well #7 indicated that the cuttings
appeared to be very dry and remained integrated. This finding suggests superior clay and cutting inhibition performance of
the HPWBM use. Additionally, the report commented a good hole condition when performed back to bottom with a
maximum drag of 6-8 k/lbs on wiper trip to 9-5/8 in. casing shoe. As noted in the report, the hole was circulated clean and
was confirmed stable by the flow check prior to tripping out without any noticeable drag. It is important to highlight that all
desirable performance characteristics such as low drag, good wellbore stability, and high ROP are achieved by maintaining
an MBT value of 15 and below and carefully monitoring the concentration of specially designed additives indicated in Table
1.

SPE/IADC 163502

Figure 5. A plot of measured depth vs. day comparison for HPWBM wells, the 12-1/4 in. and 8-1/2 in.
hole sections
At the end of well #7, the 63 m3 of a 1.24 SG HPWBM was transfered for reuse to drill the next well (well #8). Upon
drilling well #8, recycled mud was re-conditioned with additives, mainly to increase mud weight to 1.40 SG, and then
combined with the freshly built HPWBM in the active pit. Table 3 illustrates mud properties after attining the final TD in
well#7 and #8. The results show that the HPWBM still maintains desirable rheological properties with low MBT and API
fluid loss. The ability to reuse or recycle the HPWBM system provides an added benefit of reducing drilling mud cost for the
operator. Reviewing the overall operational cost, the operator was able to significantly decrease the total operational cost by
13% to 30% from the planned budget by using the HPWBM system. Furthermore, because the HPWBM is the
environmentally compliant fluid, the spent mud and drill cuttings can be directly discharge onboard and do not require the
further drilling waste treatment system. Although drilling with SBM generally appears to provide a lower overall rig cost, it
usually does not include hidden costs of oily waste disposal and management to meet regulation standard.
Table 3. End of the well HPWBM mud properties.
Property

Well#7

Well#8

Mud weight, SG

1.24

1.27

PV, cP

19

21

YP, lb/100 ft2

26

19

10" gel strength, lb/100 ft2

10' gel strength, lb/100 ft2

18

MBT, lb/bbl

13.3

14.0

API fluid loss, mL

2.9

3.3

pH

10.7

10.6

Conclusions
During the one-year campaign, the operator implemented the use of HPWBM system over five deviated offshore wells
Cameroon. The well recaps indicated that the HPWBM proved to be an excellent alternative to the invert emulsion mud for
the BaF field in Douala Basin. The system delivered high drilling performance such as shale stability, clay, and cutting
inhibition, and high rate of penetration (ROP). The operator experienced no wellbore problems. From the environmental
perspective, due to the absence of oil contamination, the system provided improved HS&E and eliminated the rig costs
associating with drilling and waste management. The HPWBM system is an eco-friendly fluid, which will fully comply with
the future goal of zero discharge for offshore Cameroon.

SPE/IADC SPE-163502-MS

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Baker Hughes and Perenco for permission to publish this paper. Specially thank also
goes to CameroonBHDF opearation group, Iain Maley, Ian Everhard, Jim Treadway, Gerald Woodgate, John Trenery, Kreke
Latter and Joe Arensdorf for their contribution and continuing support in the paper.
Nomenclature
HPWBM = High performance water-based mud
SBM = Synthetic-based mud
OBM = Oil-based mud
BLCU = Base lace cretaceous unconformity
ROP = Rate of penetration
SG = Specific gravity
PPT = Pore pressure transmission
CHS = Clay hydration suppressant
TD = Total depth
MD = Measured depth
HS&E = Health safety and environmental
DMR = Daily mud report
MBT = Methylene blue test
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