Formation Damage Evaluation,

Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formation Damage During

Drilling Phase

Muhammad Ali
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Introduction
 Drilling fluid is the first foreign fluid that contacts the
reservoir zone of a borehole. Both the solid and the liquid
fractions of the drilling mud may interact with the formation
and the formation fluids. Damage by solids particle invasion
has long been recognized by the industry. Experimental results
indicate that even 1-15 ppm water suspension containing less
than 3 micron particles may cause in-depth invasion with
serious damage to the formation permeability.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Introduction

 Mud additives, especially dispersing and flocculating

additives of mud systems are likely to change the
nature of microstructures of the deposited cake. These
additives change the electrochemical properties such
as dielectric constant, electrolyte concentration, ionic
environment, pH of the cake forming environment,
rate of particle deposition, nature of particle
deposition, etc.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Introduction

No Damage Partial Damage

Serious
Damage
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

During drilling operations, some problems

could be happened and will have direct
impact on formation damage such as:
1. Lost of Circulation,
2. Mud Contamination,
3. Poor Chemical Mixing
4. Using of Improper Solid removal Equipment
5. Poor Cementing Jobs
6. Unstable hole Conditions
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Properties of Drilling Fluid related to Formation

Damage

• Drilling fluid weight (density)

• Drilling fluid loss
• Drilling fluid carrying capacity (viscosity & gel
strength)
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Drilling Fluids Composition

B. Solids Types:

(Bentonite, Barite, Salts, Polymers)

1. Low gravity solids

2. High gravity solids
3. Reactive solids (clays)
4. Non-reactive solids (sands, limestone, dolomite….)
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Drilling Fluids Composition

C. Drilling Fluids always including the following

Materials:

1. Weighting Materials
2. Viscosity builder Materials
3. Fluid Loss Control Materials
4. Clays
5. Drilled Solids
6. Lost Circulation Materials (if required)
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Drilling Mud Cake and Solids Invasion into

Formation Pores
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Drilling Mud Cake and Solids Invasion into

Formation Pores
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Causes and Damage Mechanism

During Drilling
Why Minimize Formation Damage?
 An undamaged Reservoir gives maximum Information
 An undamaged Reservoir is the most Profitable one!
 High levels of Damage may make some fields
uneconomic
 Remedial Treatments are expensive & not always
successful
In reality, all Reservoirs are damaged to some degree
by the wellbore fluid (except UBD?)
The important issue is whether the damage will affect
productivity Index [P1]
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Invasion Profile
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Filter Cake Formation

 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formation Damage Mechanisms During

Drilling
Fluid Loss
The mechanisms by which the drilling mud filtrate that
leaks off through the filter cake into the formation
include:
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formation
Damage
Mechanisms
During Drilling
Formation
impaiment due
to water block
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formation Damage Mechanisms During

Drilling
2. In a gas reservoir
the addition of a (third)
oil phase to the already
existing gas! water
phases will reduce the
relative permeability to
gas

Addition of third phase reduces gas flow

 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formations Impairment due to Clay Swelling

3. Surfactants present in the

drilling fluid may change
the formation
wettabilities (oil relative
permeability is lower in
an oil-wet formation than
in a water wet one).
Further, extraction of the
surfactants present in the
mud filtrate, e.g. from an
invert oil emulsion mud,
may cause the generation
of a viscous emulsion with
oil present in the
formation
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Formation Impairment Due To Polymer

Absorption
4. The connate water and the formation fluid s may be
incompatible, resulting in precipitates being formed.
Such precipitates will reduce the permeability of the
near wellbore formation. Similarly, polymers dissolved
in the mud filtrate may absorb on the formation
surfaces, restricting the area open to flow
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Causes and Damage Mechanism

During Drilling
Causes of Damage
1. Mud solids invasion
2. Formation fines migration
3. Clay swelling
4. Adsorption and precipitation of insoluble materials
and polymers in pore spaces
5. Reaction and precipitation (scale)
6. Wax formation (paraffin, asphaltene)
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Causes and Damage Mechanism

7. Sludge and emulsion formation (e.g. reaction of crude
& mud acid)
8. Stress-induced permeability change
9. Perforation plugging.
10. Alteration of reservoir rock wettabiliy,
11. Introduction of an immobile phase,
12. Mud filtrate invasion into produced formation may oil-
wet the formation and cause water or emulsion
blocks.
13. Mud filtrate may also cause the clays or other fines to
flocculate, disperse, swell, shrink and block the
formation.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Causes and Damage Mechanism

14. Pores and fractures near the wellbore possible to be
sealed by trowelling action during drilling and
reaming of the pay zone by drilling string.
15. Cement may plug the large pores and fractures.
16. Chemical flushes and chemical spacers used in
cementing operations may cause changes in clays in
the producing formation.
17. Filtrate from high fluid loss cement slurries may bring
changes in formation fluid balance.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Damage Caused by Drilling Fluid

At least three Mechanisms are at work:

1. Solid particles from the Drilling Fluid Physically plug

or bridge across flow paths in the porous formation.
2. When Water contacts certain clay minerals in the
formation, the clay typically swells, increasing in
volume and decreasing the pore volume.
3. Chemical Reactions between the Drilling Fluid and the
Formation Rock and Fluids can Precipitate Solids or
Semisolids that Plug Pore spaces.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

In Reality, All Reservoirs are Damaged to

some Degree by the Wellbore Fluid
(Except Under Balance Drilling?)

The Important Issue is Whether the Damage

will Affect p1.
 Formation Damage Evaluation,
Prevention, Remediation & Control

Ways to Avoid and to Minimize

Formation Damage during Drilling Operations

The following are recommended to be considered to
minimize formation damage by drilling mud:
1. Use of Low Weight, low solids mud
2. Control Mud Fluid Loss to minimize filtrate invasion
to formation
3. Use of Polymers Rather than bentonite, whenever
practically possible