Fluid Flow Control Using Magnetorheological Fluids (2002)

Fluid Flow Control Using Magnetorheological Fluids P.L.J. Zitha; P.L.J. Zitha Delft University of Technology Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar F. Wessel F. Wessel Delft University of Technology Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 2002. Paper Number: SPE-75144-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/75144-MS Published: April 13 2002 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Zitha, P.L.J., and F. Wessel. "Fluid Flow Control Using Magnetorheological Fluids." Paper presented at the SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 2002. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/75144-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference Search Advanced Search AbstractMagnetorheological fluids (MRFs), i. e. suspensions of ferri- or ferromagnetic particles in a water or an oil-based carrier fluid, stabilized by a surfactant or polymer, are deemed suitable for fluid flow control in oil and gas recovery operations. This paper reports a laboratory study on the rheology of oil-based MRF and its influence on oil and water flow in cores. Two types of experiments will be discussed:flow of an MRF in a tube andflow of oil or brine in sand-packs previously saturated with a MRF. In both types of experiments, the flow rate and the strength of the magnetic field were varied.Tube flow experiments show that MRFs can be characterized by yield point and, above the yield point, by a shear-thinning behavior. In the presence of a magnetic field the rheological parameters change drastically leading to a gel type of behavior. On one hand, the yield point and the plastic viscosity increase strongly and, on the other hand, the power law exponent decreases and then levels off to a plateau. We propose a simple rheological model conveying these features.On the core side, residual resistance factors (FRR) in the order of a few thousand were obtained under moderate magnetic fields. For a fixed magnetic field, the FRR for oil is lower that that for water by at least an order of magnitude. The data suggest that magnetorheological fluids are efficient flow control systems that could be used to maintain pressure in the well at a certain level (e. g., to prevent a "blowout" or leakoff during drilling), to reduce circulation loss or to reduce water production in hydrocarbon wells.IntroductionThe control of fluid hydrostatic and flow behavior is an essential feature of oil and gas drilling and production operations. During drilling, the specific gravity and rheology of the drilling fluids are carefully adjusted using chemical additives (polymers, surfactants, etc.) to ensure pressure control, carrying of cuttings and low circulation loss. 1,2 The most commonly used method to improve oil sweep efficiency consists in increasing the apparent viscosity of drive fluids also by adding chemicals3,4 (polymers, surfactants) resulting for gases (e. g. carbon dioxide) in the development of foams. The reduction of water production during hydrocarbon recovery (water control) relies on the adsorption or in-situ gelation of water-soluble polymers. 5,6The above examples illustrate to which extent chemicals are essential to the oil and gas industry but reveal by the same token their limited reversibility. Once a drilling fluid is made, the polymer is adsorbed or has gelled we can hardly modify their properties to any appreciable extent, in a reasonable time interval and cost-effectively. In this work we introduce a new approach to fluid flow control based on using magneto-rheological fluids (MRF), i. e. fluids whose rheological properties can be strongly and reversibly modified using an external magnetic field.The aim of this paper is to investigate the most relevant features of MRFs with respect to drilling & completion as well as water control applications. We report two types of studies:rheological experiments performed with a tube andcore flow experiments consisting mainly in the displacement of an oil based magnetorheological fluid using brine and oil, both under a magnetic field of varying strength. In the next section we present a novel rheological model for MRFs and set a framework for the interpretation of the tube flow experiments. The following section is devoted to the experimental details. Next we present the results and then draw the main conclusions.Rheological modelMagnetorheological fluids are suspensions of ferri- or ferromagnetic magnetic particles stabilized in a carrier fluid, such as water or oil, using a surfactant or polymer. 7,8 In the absence of a magnetic field, the particles are mostly subject to short-range interactions and exhibit a disordered structure (see Fig. 1a). The suspension has been described often as a Bingham fluid, i. e. fluid with a low yield point and a Newtonian behavior above the yield point. This is not correct however because, as we shall see below, above the yield point the MRFs exhibit a power-law character, especially in the presence of a magnetic field. 9 Keywords: viscosity, magnetic field, enhanced recovery, drilling fluid chemistry, strength, drilling fluids and materials, drilling fluid selection and formulation, spe 75144, permeability, maximum pressure drop Subjects: Drilling Fluids and Materials, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Drilling fluid selection and formulation (chemistry, properties), Flow in porous media This content is only available via PDF. 2002. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.