Delivering Wells Without Backreaming: Implementation of High-Performance Water Base Fluid System with Highly Inhibitive Triple Mechanism in Unconventional Wells in The UAE

Abstract A customized high-performance water-base fluid system was used to drill intermediate sections in an unconventional gas field located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The customized system with a highly inhibitive triple-mechanism was used to drill troublesome shale formations achieving high rates of penetration without any bit-balling or shale related incidents. One challenge commonly faced while drilling these formation is the excessive back reaming required while tripping out of the hole. However, the superior performance of the fluid system ensured that tripping out of the hole was achieved by using only elevators, without any backreaming, saving a significant amount of rig hours. This paper discusses the design, implementation and results obtained by implementing customized high-performance water base systems to drill troublesome shale formations in six wells in the unconventional gas field.