Challenge: A drilling program in Eastern
Venezuela called for the use of an all-oil diesel oil-based mud (OBM) in a
formation comprised of mostly shale (90%) and some sandstone.
Solution: M-I SWACO engineers recommended
PIPE-LAX OB, a spotting fluid designed to free stuck drillstrings when using
invert-emulsion fluids.
Results:
- PIPE-LAX OB degraded the filter cake
faster and more effectively than previously used traditional pills.
- The use of
the PIPE-LAX OB pill circumvented the need for a sidetrack and the loss of the
bottom-hole assembly (BHA), valued at approximately $250,000.