1. Saudi Aramco use of formate brines, 2003-2009
7 deep gas fields
44 HPHT wells drilled
70,000 ft of reservoir
drilled at high angle
90,000 bbl of brine
recovered and re-used
Good synergy with ESS,
also OHMS fracturing

2. Summary from Aramco’s OTC paper 19801
Aramco still consume around 300 m3/month of K formate brine

3. Potassium formate brine with Micromax®
Good results in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (9 HPHT wells so far)
SPE (2010) “Successful HPHT Application of Potassium Formate/Manganese Tetra-Oxide Fluid Helps Improve Drilling Characteristics and Imaging Log Quality”
SPE/IADC (2011) “Utilization of Non-damaging Drilling Fluid Composed of Potassium Formate Brine and Manganese Tetra Oxide to Drill Sandstone Formation in Tight Gas Reservoir
SPE (2012) “Paradigm Shift in Reducing Formation Damage: Application of Potassium Formate Water Based Mud in Deep HPHT Exploratory Well”

4. Pakistan - OMV use potassium formate brine for HPHT deep gas well drilling and completions

5. Extracts from OMV’s SPE papers and SPE presentations – note 1,700 psi overbalance, and 350oF

6. North Sea - Formate brines used as combined HPHT drill-in and completion fluids
33 development* wells drilled and completed in 7 HPHT offshore gas fields
Huldra (6 )
Tune (4)
Devenick (2)
Kvitebjoern (8 O/B and 5 MPD)
Valemon (1)
Kristin (2) – Drilled only
Vega (5)
* Except Valemon (appraisal well)
Mostly open hole stand-alone sand screen completions

7. Tune field – HP/HT gas condensate reservoir drilled and completed with K formate brine, 2002
4 wells : m horizontal reservoir sections. Open hole screen completions. Suspended for 6-12 months in formate brine after completion

8. Tune wells - Initial Clean-up – Operator’s view (direct copy of slide) June 2003
Wells left for 6-12 months before clean-up
Clean-up : hours per well
Well performance
Qgas 1.2 – 3.6 MSm3/d
PI 35 – 200 kSm3/d/bar
Well length sensitive
No indication of formation damage
Match to ideal well flow simulations (Prosper) - no skin
Indications of successful clean-up
Shut-in pressures  
Water samples during clean-up
Formate and CaCO3 particles
Registered high-density liquid in separator
Tracer results
A-12 T2H non detectable
A-13 H tracer indicating flow from lower reservoir first detected 5 sd after initial clean-up <-> doubled well productivity compared to initial flow data
No processing problems Oseberg Field Center

9. Tune – Production of recoverable gas and condensate reserves since 2003 (NPD data)
Good early production from the 4 wells
- No skin (no damage)
million m3 gas /day
- 23,000 bbl/day condensate
Good sustained production
- 90% of recoverable hydrocarbon
reserves produced by end of Year 7
NPD current estimate of RR:
billion m3 gas
- 3.3 million bbl condensate
Rapid and efficient drainage of the reservoir

10. Huldra field – HPHT gas condensate reservoir drilled and completed with formate brine, 2001
6 production wells
1-2 Darcy sandstone
BHST: 147oC
TVD : 3,900 m
Hole angle : 45-55o
Fluid density: SG
m x 81/2” reservoir sections
Open hole completions, 65/8” wire wrapped
screens
Lower completion in formate drilling fluid and
upper completions in clear brine

11. Huldra – Production of recoverable gas and condensate reserves since Nov 2001 (NPD data)
Plateau production from first 3 wells
- 10 million m3 gas /day
- 30,000 bbl/day condensate
Good sustained production
- 78% of recoverable gas and 89% of
condensate produced by end of Year 7
- Despite rapid pressure decline.....
NPD current estimate of RR:
billion m3 gas
million bbl condensate
Rapid and efficient drainage of the reservoir

12. Kvitebjørn field – HPHT gas condensate reservoir drilled and completed with K/Cs formate brine,
13 wells to date – 8 O/B, 5 in MPD mode
100 mD sandstone
BHST: 155oC
TVD : 4,000 m
Hole angle : 20-40o
Fluid density: SG 2.02 for O/B
m x 81/2” reservoir sections
6 wells completed in open hole : 300-micron single wire-wrapped
screens.
Remainder of wells cased and perforated

13. A few of the highlights from Kvitebjoern
Fast completions and high well productivity
Kvitebjoern well
Completion time
(days)
A-4
17.5
A-5
17.8
A-15
14.8
A-10
15.9
A-6
12.7 *
Operator comments after well testing (Q )
“The target well PI was 51,000 Sm3/day/bar This target would have had a skin of 7”
“A skin of 0 would have given a PI of 100,000”
“THE WELL A-04 GAVE A PI OF 90,000 Sm3/day/bar
(ANOTHER FANTASTIC PI)”
The Well PI was almost double the target
* Fastest HPHT well completion
in the North Sea

14. Kvitebjørn– Production of recoverable gas and condensate reserves since Oct 2004 (NPD data)
Good production reported from first 7 wells in million m3 gas /day
- 48,000 bbl/day condensate
Good sustained production (end Y8)
- 37 billion m3 gas
- 17 million m3 of condensate
- Produced 70% of original est. RR by
end of 8th year
NPD : Est. RR have been upgraded
- 89 billion m3 gas (from 55)
- 27 million m3 condensate (from 22)
Note : Shut down 15 months, Y3-5
- To slow reservoir pressure depletion
- Repairs to export pipeline

15. Economic benefits of using formate brines
SPE (2010): “A Review of the Impact of the Use of Formate Brines on the Economics of Deep Gas Field Development Projects”
SPE (2011): “Life Without Barite: Ten Years of Drilling Deep HPHT
Gas Wells With Cesium Formate Brine”