Technology Focus: Drilling and Completion Fluids (November 2026)

Adequate consideration must be given to the potential effect of each fluid on the successive phase operations to ensure integrated well-fluids system management. The full spectrum of drilling and completion fluids used from well cradle to abandonment can be fragmented based on primary functions and sequential well-life-cycle phase of application: - Prereservoir drilling and construction fluids - Reservoir drilling fluids (RDF) and completion fluids - Well intervention and remediation fluids - Well decommissioning and plug and abandonment fluids Because the key objective of exploration and development wells is to safely deliver optimum productivity and economic value, it is prudent for engineers to first determine the best RDF/ completion fluid that does not compromise the minimum requirements for the other phase fluids. Consequently, adequate consideration must be given to the potential effect of each fluid on the successive phase operations to ensure integrated well-fluids system management. Significant advances continue to be made within all the preabandonment fluid applications from which papers have been selected in this year’s review.