High-Resolution Time-Lapse Monitoring of Mud Invasion in Spatially Complex Rocks Using In-Situ X-Ray Radiography
Authors:   The University of Texas at Austin, Aérens Pierre , Aérens Pierre ,   Halliburton, Espinoza D. Nicolas ,   The University of Texas at Austin, Torres-Verdín Carlos ,   The University of Texas at Austin
Published: October 2023

Borehole measurements, such as electrical resistivity, neutron porosity, or nuclear magnetic resonance, are critical for the in-situ petrophysical assessment of subsurface rocks. However, the interpretation of borehole measurements is often subject to uncertainty arising from their sensitivity to the interplay between mud filtrate, connate fluids, and the rock’s pore structure. This uncertainty remains present even in homogeneous geological formations. Mudcake deposition on the borehole wall causes additional complexity, impacting both well construction and formation evaluation. It is, therefore, essential to account for the latter effects and perform appropriate corrections when interpreting borehole measurements. Recently, new experimental procedures were introduced to quantitatively describe the process of mud invasion under realistic rock and fluid conditions, focusing on gas-bearing rocks and without considering how original saturating fluids affected the process of invasion. Both mud-filtrate invasion and filter-cake deposition must be understood and incorporated into numerical and analytical models to reliably interpret borehole measurements and maximize value. This objective can only be fulfilled via experiments. We use X-ray microfocus radiography to examine in real time the processes of mud-filtrate invasion and internal and external mudcake deposition in thin rectangular rock samples. The high-resolution experimental procedure (10 to 30 μm) mimics the borehole and near-wellbore regions and facilitates the time-lapse visualization of in-situ fluid-transport processes in spatially complex rocks. Water- and oil-based muds were injected into rock samples initially saturated with a range of different connate fluids, including viscous liquids, while being continuously scanned with X-rays. Because the injected drilling muds were the same across all experiments, the observed discrepancies between experiments originate from differences in rock properties, heterogeneity and anisotropy, or initial fluid saturation conditions. Experimental results emphasize the effect of rock heterogeneity and initial connate fluid on the spatial distribution of fluids and mudcake formation ensuing from mud-filtrate invasion. Mud-filtrate invasion rates and final average mudcake thicknesses were similar across all cases for a given drilling mud, suggesting that mudcake properties, as opposed to rock properties, were the controlling factors. By contrast, the spatial distribution of fluids in each rock sample varied significantly between cases, highlighting the impact of rock heterogeneity/anisotropy on the process of invasion. Laboratory experiments also emphasize the impact of viscous and/or capillary forces on mud-filtrate flow behavior. The experimental method is efficient and reliable, allowing for a better understanding of the uncertainty of the effects of mud-filtrate invasion on borehole geophysical measurements acquired while or after drilling.