Aqueous foams for geothermal drilling fluids. I. Surfactant screening

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6031168

Rand, P B

Aqueous foam is a promising drilling fluid for geothermal wells because it will not harm 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. This paper presents the procedures developed to generate and test aqueous foams and the effects of a 260{sup 0}C temperature cycle on aqueous surfactant solutions. 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 Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 6031168
• Report Number(s): SAND-79-1342C; CONF-790906-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150901* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Drilling Technology & Well Hardware
ANIONS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLOIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISPERSIONS
DRILLING FLUIDS
EROSION
FOAMS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IONS
MIXTURES
SOLUTIONS
SURFACTANTS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
THERMAL DEGRADATION
WELLS