RheMax
Thermally enhanced nonaqueous drilling fluid system
Applications
- Conventional and unconventional wells
- Bottomhole temperature up to 400 degF [204 degC]
- High angle and horizontal wells
- Land and offshore operations
Benefits
- Maintains thermal stability and a tight emulsion
- Reduces torque and drag in in-gauge wellbores
- Improves HPHT filtration control and bridging
- Maintains water-free filtrate
- Enhances hole cleaning at manageable equivalent circulating density (ECD)
- Optimizes rheology for consistent performance
Features
- Compatible with a wide variety of base oils—oil based, mineral oil based, and seed muds
- Provides strong contamination tolerance, reducing the tendency for progressive gel strengths
- Rheological profile provides superior cuttings transport, improving hole cleaning
- Lower pressures to break circulation
- Long-term fluid stability
How it improves performance
The RheMax™ thermally enhanced nonaqueous fluid system improves drilling performance by maintaining fluid properties and a tight emulsion throughout the drilling section at elevated temperatures. It reduces torque and drag and delivers excellent performance while drilling in-gauge wellbores. Its improved HPHT filtration control and bridging capabilities help maintain water-free filtrate and a tight emulsion. The optimized chemistry package provides an improved balance between low-shear-rate viscosity, yield point, and fragile gels, delivering excellent hole cleaning at manageable ECD values.
The RheMax system is designed to maintain wellbore stability and integrity while ensuring consistent functionality in HPHT wells and extended-reach drilling.
How it works
The RheMax system is engineered to minimize operational risks by enhancing cuttings transport efficiency and optimizing cost-effectiveness. Its unique emulsifier package provides a robust contamination resistance, which supports improved ROP and contributes to a reduction in overall drilling cost. Additionally, the RheMax system is developed to meet environmental compliance standards.
Additional Information
Operators drilling HPHT, high-angle, and extended-reach wells require a nonaqueous drilling fluid that can maintain stability while supporting effective hole cleaning. Solids contamination, rising maintenance requirements, torque and drag, and complex fluid management can further affect drilling performance and costs. The RheMax system addresses these challenges with thermal stability up to 400 degF [204 degC], strong contamination tolerance, improved cuttings transport, reliable filtration control, and manageable ECD, helping maintain wellbore integrity and consistent drilling performance.
A stress test was conducted to compare the performance of the RheMax system against two alternative invert emulsion systems utilizing different emulsifier packages. The fluids were subjected to dynamic aging for 64 hours at 325 degF [177 degC], followed by a comprehensive laboratory evaluation.
As summarized in the table below, the RheMax system demonstrated superior thermal and emulsion stability under prolonged high-temperature exposure. While the offset systems exhibited increased HPHT fluid loss at 300 degF [149 degC] and began producing water in the filtrate, indicating degradation of emulsion integrity, the RheMax system maintained low fluid loss and a stable emulsion throughout the test.
These results highlight the RheMax system's enhanced long-term fluid stability and contamination resistance, providing operators with greater confidence in maintaining consistent drilling performance under demanding and extended-duration drilling conditions.
