GTL Drilling Fluids

Shell GTL Drilling Base Fluids are sourced from the world-leading Pearl GTL plant in Qatar and Shell MDS Malaysia plant. The scale of the facilities helps to ensure strong security of supply, while a global logistics network supports the fulfilment of orders in local markets. By drawing on Shell’s extensive technology and product expertise, the GTL Drilling Base Fluids have been developed to work in a range of well conditions and different environments.

• Their low viscosity results in a better equivalent circulating density (ECD), faster rate of penetration (ROP), increased hole cleaning efficiency and lower mechanical specific energy (MSE)
• Their rheological profile is relatively flat over a wide range of working temperatures, therefore enabling better mud control while drilling with less time spent on mud conditioning and ultimately reducing non-productive time (NPT)
• They are suitable for deep water environments with mud line temperatures of 40 ^oF (4.4 ^oC) and below
• They are also suitable for high temperature high pressure (HTHP) environments with exceptional thermal stability at borehole temperatures up to 450 ^oF (232 ^oC)

Shell GTL Drilling Base Fluids are steadily expanding into land operations following their success in offshore drilling. For over 50 years, diesel has been commonly used as a drilling base fluid in land operations. In comparison to diesel, results from a field test carried out in the United States (Permian Basin, onshore Texas) clearly showed that Saraline 185V (marketed as Neoflo 4633 in the Americas) is capable of lowering total well costs and generating significant benefits to overall land drilling operations.

Shell GTL Drilling Base Fluids are also ideal fluids in hydraulic fracturing:

• The preferred health, safety and environmentally-friendly fluid for hydraulic fracturing
• Non-detectable BTEX and extremely low aromatics, thus reducing harm to health and the environment
• Conducive to groundwater protection due to limited water solubility, lack of aquatic toxicity and limited soil transport
• An established carrier fluid for friction reducer and guar gum packages in worldwide fracturing operations

Find out more about Shell MDS Malaysia plant and its end products