Method of underbalanced drilling using foaming agent
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsAhmed Hamdy Gowida, Salaheldin Mahmoud Ahmed Elkatatny, Ahmed Mohamed Farid Ibrahim
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Abstract
A method for underbalanced drilling includes drilling into a subterranean geological formation to form a wellbore therein, injecting a foaming agent into the wellbore during drilling at a wellbore pressure that is below a pore pressure of the subterranean geological formation, and transporting drill cuttings formed by the drilling away from the drilling surface in the foam. The foaming agent forms a foam in the wellbore at a drilling surface at a bottom of the wellbore. The foaming agent is an aqueous solution including an ammonium alcohol ether sulfate surfactant.
Claims17
A method of underbalanced drilling, comprising:
- drilling into a subterranean geological formation to form a wellbore therein;
- injecting a foaming agent into the wellbore during drilling at a wellbore pressure that is below a pore pressure of the subterranean geological formation, wherein the foaming agent forms a foam in the wellbore at a drilling surface at a bottom of the wellbore;
- and
- transporting drill cuttings formed by the drilling away from the drilling surface in the foam,
- wherein the foaming agent has a pH of 8 to 11 and is an aqueous solution comprising an ammonium alcohol ether sulfate surfactant in an amount of 0.25 to 0.75 wt. %, and
- wherein the foaming agent has an initial bubble count of at least 60 per mm2 and an average bubble area of at least 160,000 μm2 after 60 sec.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.