Sains Malaysiana 44(4)(2015): 629–634

Improving the Cuttings Transport Performance of Water-based Mud Through the Use of Polypropylene Beads

(Meningkatkan Prestasi Pengangkutan Rincisan bagi Lumpur Dasar Air Menggunakan Manik Polipropilena)

M.D.U. ONUOHA, I. ISMAIL*, A. PIROOZIAN, N.S. MAMAT & A.S. ISMAIL

UTM-MPRC Institute for Oil and Gas, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Received: 15 January 2014/Accepted: 1 December 2014

ABSTRACT

This research work presents the experimental results of the effect of polypropylene beads' concentrations in water-based mud on wellbore cleaning. A comparative study of cuttings transport performance (CTP) of water-based mud and water-based mud with polypropylene beads were carried out at different hole angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, 75° and 90° in a 13 ft (3.96 m) acrylic concentric annulus flow test section, having a 2 in (50.8 mm) casing ID and a fixed 0.79 in (20 mm) inner pipe OD. A total of 100 runs had been accomplished using fine sands (from Tanjung Balau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia) of size ranging from 5/127 - 6/127" (1.0 – 1.2 mm) and density 2.4 g/cc (2400 kg/m3), with the mud density and viscosity maintained at 9 ppg (1078 kg/m3) and 5 cp (0.005 Pa.s), respectively, in a flow velocity of 2.1 ft/s (0.64 m/s). Polypropylene beads used in this study have the following properties: 290 kg/cm2 of tensile strength at yield, 0.86 g/cc (860 kg/m3) density, 4 mm (20/127") size, 82 R scale Rockwell hardness, 13,500 kg/cm2 flexural modulus, 85°C heat deflection temperature at 4.6 kg/cm2, 4 g/10 min melt flow rate at 230°C and spherical in shape. The experimental findings showed that commingling the basic mud with polypropylene beads has successfully introduced a buoyant force which was found to have improved the cuttings transport performance by more than 10% when weight concentration of the polypropylene beads was increased to 1.5% as compared with the performance obtained from the basic water-based mud. The improvement of cuttings transport performance was found to be more significant in a vertical hole.

Keywords: Cuttings transport performance; drilled cuttings; drilling mud; polypropylene beads; water-based mud

ABSTRAK

Penyelidikan ini mengetengahkan hasil kajian tentang kesan kepekatan berat manik polipropilena dalam lumpur dasar air terhadap pembersihan lubang telaga. Suatu kajian perbandingan terhadap prestasi pengangkutan rincisan bagi lumpur dasar air bercampur dengan manik-manik polipropilena berbanding lumpur dasar air tanpa manik polipropilena telah dijalankan pada sudut lubang yang berbeza, iaitu 0°, 30°, 60°, 75° dan 90°. Kajian melibatkan penggunaan paip akrilik sepanjang 13 kaki (3.96 m) yang memiliki bahagian ujian aliran anulus sepusat, yang terdiri daripada satu selongsong berdiameter dalam 2 in (50.8 mm) dan satu paip dalaman tak putar berdiameter luar 0.79 in (20 mm). Sebanyak 100 uji kaji telah dijalankan menggunakan pasir halus dari Tanjung Balau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, yang bersaiz 5/127 - 6/127" (1.0 – 1.2 mm) dan berketumpatan 2.4 g/cc (2400 kg/m³). Lumpur gerudi yang diguna berketumpatan 9 ppg (1078 kg/m³) dan berkelikatan 5 cp (0.005 Pa.s), dengan purata halaju aliran di dalam paip ialah 2.1 ka/s (0.64 m/s). Manik-manik polipropilena yang digunakan dalam kajian mempunyai sifat-sifat berikut: Kekuatan tegangan, ketumpatan 0.86 g/cc (860 kg/m³), saiz 4 mm (20/127"), kekerasan 82 R pada skala Rockwell, modulus lenturan 13,500 kg/cm², suhu pesongan haba 85°C pada 4.6. kg/cm2, kadar alir leburan 4 g/10 min pada 230°C dan berbentuk sfera. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa campuran lumpur dasar air dengan manik-manik polipropilena berjaya menghasilkan suatu daya apung. Daya ini telah meningkatkan prestasi pengangkutan rincisan melebihi 10% apabila kepekatan berat manik polipropilena ditingkatkan kepada 1.5% berbanding prestasi lumpur dasar air tanpa manik polipropilena. Peningkatan prestasi pengangkutan rincisan adalah lebih ketara dalam lubang tegak.

Kata kunci: Lumpur dasar air; lumpur gerudi; manik polipropilena; prestasi pengangkutan rincisan; rincisan gerudi

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*Corresponding author; email: issham@petroleum.utm.my