Ultra-high-temperature resistant water-based drilling fluid technology for ten-kilometer ultra-deep wells

Two types of ultra-high-temperature resistant water-based drilling fluid additives were designed and developed: an ultra-high- temperature resistant salt-tolerant polymer fluid loss reducer, and an ultra-high-temperature resistant micro-nano plugging agent. An ultra-high-temperature resistant water-based drilling fluid system meeting the requirements of ultra-deep well drilling was established. Laboratory test and field application were employed for performance evaluation. The ultra-high-temperature and high-salt resistant polymer fluid loss reducer exhibits a mesh-like membrane structure with numerous cross-linking points, and its high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) loss was 28.2 mL after aging at 220 °C under saturated salt conditions. The ultra-high-temperature resistant micro-nano plugging agent adaptively filled mud cake pores/fractures through deformation, thus reducing the fluid loss. At elevated temperatures, it transitioned to a viscoelastic state to effectively cement the rock on wellbore wall and enhanced wall stability. The ultra-high-temperature resistant water-based drilling fluid system with a density of 1.6 g/cm3 exhibits excellent rheological properties at high temperature and high pressure. Its HTHP fluid loss at 220 °C was only 9.6 mL. It maintains a stable performance under high-temperature and high-salt conditions, with a sedimentation factor below 0.52 after holding at high temperature for 7 d, and generates no H2S gas after aging, demonstrating good lubricity and safety. This drilling fluid system has been successfully applied in the 10 000-meter ultra-deep well of China, Shenditake 1, in Tarim Oilfield, ensuring the well's successful drilling to a depth of 10 910 m.