Abstract: Methods and apparatuses that measure thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of a emulsified drilling fluid may be used to indirectly measure the salinity and the average specific gravity of the solids in the emulsified drilling fluid. For example, a drilling assembly may comprise a drill string extending into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; a pump configured to circulate a drilling fluid through the drilling assembly; a first flow line fluidly coupling the wellbore to a retention pit; a second flow line fluidly coupling the retention pit to the pump; a third flow line fluidly coupling the pump to the drill string; and an in-line analysis system fluidly coupled to the retention pit, fluidly coupled to the second flow line, or fluidly coupled to the third flow line, the in-line analysis system comprising a thermal conductivity meter and/or an electrical conductivity meter to a sample container.

Abstract: The physical properties of a fluid may be used in deriving the compositional properties of the fluid, which may, in turn, be used to influence an operational parameters of a drilling operation. For example, a method may include drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a first location and a second location along the flow path; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location based on the at least one physical property that was measured; comparing the compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location; and changing an operational parameter of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein. The method generally includes generating frequency responses of one or more sample fluids having known fluid properties, selecting an equivalent circuit model for modeling the frequency responses, the equivalent circuit model including one or more model elements, calculating an equivalent impedance of the equivalent circuit model, generating a correlation between the one or more model elements and the known fluid properties, measuring an impedance of a drilling fluid, and determining at least one property of the drilling fluid based on the correlation between the one or more model elements and the known fluid properties.

Abstract: A method of producing particles comprising: (A) providing a plurality of particle cores, wherein the cores have at least a first property; (B) partially or fully coating the outer surface of the cores with a substance, wherein the substance has a second property, and wherein the second property is different from the first property; and (C) reducing the particle size of the coated particles, wherein the core is exposed after the step of reducing. A method of using particles comprising: introducing a treatment fluid into an area to be treated, wherein the treatment fluid comprises: (i) a base fluid; and (ii) the particles.

Abstract: A method for graphically representing a subterranean space from the perspective of a point within the subterranean space, in some embodiments, comprises: obtaining data associated with the subterranean space, said data corresponding to a plurality of coordinates in a first coordinate system; associating the data for each of said plurality of coordinates with one or more corresponding coordinates in a second coordinate system; generating a different model of the subterranean space based on the data and said associations; and displaying the different model on a display, wherein the different model represents the subterranean space from the perspective of a point within the subterranean space.

Abstract: Fluid properties like viscosity, yield strength, and density may be measured by analyzing fluid motion in response to disturbing the surface of the fluid. For example, a method may include disturbing a surface of a fluid in one or more locations, thereby forming a deformation and waves at the surface of the fluid for the one or more locations; imaging and measuring at least one selected from the group consisting of the deformation, the waves, and a combination thereof; and calculating a property of the fluid based on the at least one selected from the group consisting of the deformation, the waves, and a combination thereof, the property selected from the group consisting of viscosity, yield strength, density, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to methods comprising providing a proposed invert emulsion formulation, wherein the proposed invert emulsion formulation comprises an oil phase, an aqueous phase, and a particulates fraction comprising a first sub-fraction and a second sub-fraction, wherein the first sub-fraction comprises high-gravity particulates and the second sub-fraction comprises low-gravity particulates; calculating an initial associative stability value of the proposed invert emulsion based on the degree of association between the aqueous phase and the particulates fraction comprising both the first sub-fraction and the second sub-fraction; manipulating the proposed invert emulsion based on the initial associative stability value so as to produce an associatively stable invert emulsion having a final associative stability value in the range of between about 50% and about 100%; and introducing the associatively stable invert emulsion into a subterranean formation.

Abstract: A wellbore treatment fluid containing lost circulation materials and methods for using the treatment fluid, the fluid including a carrier fluid and nano-carbohydrate based sheets. The sheets may be folded or rolled into various cross-sectional surface area reducing configurations. The nano-carbohydrate based sheets may contain cellulose and or chitin materials. A method for utilizing the treatment fluid for creation or maintenance of a well includes forming or providing the treatment fluid and introducing the treatment fluid into a borehole.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses that measure thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of a emulsified drilling fluid may be used to indirectly measure the salinity and the average specific gravity of the solids in the emulsified drilling fluid. For example, a drilling assembly may comprise a drill string extending into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; a pump configured to circulate a drilling fluid through the drilling assembly; a first flow line fluidly coupling the wellbore to a retention pit; a second flow line fluidly coupling the retention pit to the pump; a third flow line fluidly coupling the pump to the drill string; and an in-line analysis system fluidly coupled to the retention pit, fluidly coupled to the second flow line, or fluidly coupled to the third flow line, the in-line analysis system comprising a thermal conductivity meter and/or an electrical conductivity meter to a sample container.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing lost circulation materials (“LCMs”) for use in a formation is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise a LCM cell that contains at least one formation simulation component. A pressurized tank may be in fluid communication with the LCM cell, and may force a sample LCM slurry into the LCM cell. An LCM receiver may also be in fluid communication with the LCM cell, and may receive the LCM slurry that flows through the LCM cell.

Abstract: Beneficiating particulate additives by removing contaminants or minerals that impact the quality and specific gravity of the particulate additives may be achieved via dry solids separation technologies. For example, an air classifier, an electrostatic separator, and a combination thereof may be used to produce a beneficiated particulate additive comprising less than 40% of drill solids by weight of the beneficiated particulate additive.

Abstract: Extracting and separating solid particulates from a drilling fluid includes combining a stream of drilling fluid containing solid particulates with a liquefied gas to form a mixture having a reduced viscosity and/or density. The mixture enters a centrifugal separator at a pressure sufficient to keep the liquefied gas in a liquid phase where rotational forces promote the separation of at least a portion of the solid particulates from the mixture. At least a portion of the solid particulates are removed to form a fluid stream having reduced solids content. In embodiments the liquefied gas can be selected from the group consisting of an inert gas, an alkane gas, an alkene gas, an alkyne gas, a noble gas, and combinations thereof. The liquefied gas can be removed from the fluid stream after the centrifugal separator and recycled back to be mixed with the stream of drilling fluid containing solid particulates.

Abstract: Some examples of a variable diameter viscometer for evaluating well fluids can be implemented to perform a method. A well fluid including solid well particles is received in a gap formed between a first portion and a second portion of the viscometer. A width of the gap is adjustable during operation of the viscometer. Rheological properties of the fluid are evaluated by applying a shear to the well fluid in the gap by moving the first portion and the second portion relative to each other, and adjusting the width of the gap between the first portion and the second portion based, at least in part, on a size distribution of the solid well particles in the well fluid.

Abstract: Methods for selectively replacing the larger particles screened from a drilling fluid may include: circulating a drilling fluid comprising a base fluid and a plurality of particles through a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; passing the drilling fluid over a screen having a mesh size, thereby separating the plurality of particles into screened particles having a diameter greater than or equal to the mesh size and retained particles having a diameter smaller than the mesh size; adding a concentration of replenishment particles to the drilling fluid that comprises the base fluid and the retained particles, wherein a PSD of the replenishment particles has a d25REP greater than or equal to the mesh size; and re-circulating the drilling fluid including the replenishment particles back into the wellbore.

Abstract: Fluids and methods of making and using the fluids that include, for example, well bore treatment fluids, kill fluids, packer fluids, thermal insulating fluids and the like that contain soluble weighting material. The fluids include: (a) an aqueous solvent such as water, and optionally one or more water-miscible organic liquids; and (b) one or more organic cationic tungstates, molybdates, and/or silicates dissolved in the solvent. In some cases, the fluids are substantially free of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr) salts and/or ions. The fluid may also be an oil-based emulsion including the aqueous-based fluid. Methods of making and using both the aqueous fluids and oil-based emulsions are also disclosed.

Abstract: A treatment fluid comprises: a base fluid; a lost-circulation material, wherein the lost-circulation material inhibits or prevents some or all of the treatment fluid from penetrating into a subterranean formation from a wellbore, wherein the wellbore penetrates the subterranean formation; and a suspending agent, wherein the suspending agent consists of a plurality of fibers, and wherein the suspending agent provides a lost-circulation material distribution of at least 30% for a test treatment fluid consisting essentially of the base fluid, the lost-circulation material, and the suspending agent at the temperature of a lost-circulation zone of the subterranean formation and static aging for at least 1 hour.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically testing high pressure and high temperature sedimentation of slurries is described. The method includes pumping a sample drilling fluid into a test cell. The sample drilling fluid may be subjected to a pre-determined pressure and a pre-determined temperature for a pre-determined period of time. The test cell may also be oriented at non-vertical angle. The sample drilling fluid may be pumped out of the test cell and the density of the sample drilling fluid automatically measured relative to a displaced fluid volume of the sample drilling fluid.

Abstract: A drilling fluid conditioning system can include a centrifuge, and at least one heat transfer property sensor that outputs real time measurements of a heat transfer property of a drilling fluid that flows through the centrifuge. A method can include measuring a heat transfer property of a drilling fluid, and determining, based on the measured heat transfer property, an operational parameter of a centrifuge through which the drilling fluid flows. A well system can include a drilling fluid that circulates through a wellbore, and a drilling fluid conditioning system including a centrifuge and at least one heat transfer property sensor that measures a heat transfer property of the drilling fluid.

Abstract: Precipitated particles may be formed under conditions that provide a particle morphology suitable for conveying a desired set of properties to a wellbore circulation fluid. Methods for using precipitated particles in a wellbore may comprise: selecting precipitation conditions for producing precipitated particles that are substantially non-spherical in shape, are about 1 micron or under in size, or any combination thereof; forming the precipitated particles from a reaction mixture under the precipitation conditions without using a polymeric dispersant; and introducing a wellbore circulation fluid comprising a plurality of the precipitated particles into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation. The precipitation conditions may include one or more of modulating various reaction conditions, applying an electric field to the reaction mixture, or including a carbohydrate-based material in the reaction mixture.

Abstract: Shear thinning fluids may be useful as calibration fluids for calibrating rheometers with bob/rotor eccentricity and at lower shear rates, which may be particularly useful for calibrating rheometers at well sites that are used for measuring the rheological properties of complex fluids (e.g., wellbore fluids like drilling fluids, cementing fluids, fracturing fluids, completion fluids, and workover fluids). Additionally, high shear rate calibrations may also be performed with shear thinning calibration fluids. Newtonian fluids may be used for high shear rate calibrations in alternate of or in addition to the shear thinning calibration fluid.