Aqueous foam surfactants for geothermal drilling fluids: 1. Screening

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5647661· OSTI ID:5647661

Rand, P B

Aqueous foam is a promising drilling fluid for geothermal wells because it will minimize damage to the producing formation and would eliminate the erosion problems of air drilling. Successful use of aqueous foam will require a high foaming surfactant which will: (1) be chemically stable in the harsh thermal and chemical environment, and (2) form stable foams at high temperatures and pressures. The procedures developed to generate and test aqueous foams and the effects of a 260/sup 0/C temperature cycle on aqueous surfactant solutions are presented. More than fifty selected surfactants were evaluated with representatives from the amphoteric, anionic, cationic, and nonionic classes included. Most surfactants were severely degraded by this temperature cycle; however, some showed excellent retention of their properties. The most promising surfactant types were the alkyl and alkyl aryl sulfonates and the ethoxylated nonionics.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 5647661
• Report Number(s): SAND-79-2036
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
DRILLING FLUIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
SURFACTANTS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
EROSION
FOAMS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
STABILITY
SULFONATES
THERMAL DEGRADATION
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SOLUTIONS
WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
150901* - Geothermal Engineering- Drilling Technology & Well Hardware