An Experimental Evaluation of the Effects of Filtercake in Wellbore Strengthening: Filtercake Rupture Resistance and Fracture Sealing Time

Recent research studies have indicated that filtercakes play a role in preventing fracture initiation, blocking pre-existing narrow fractures, and isolating drilling-induced fractures at the initiation stage. The ability of the filtercakes to effectively strengthen the wellbore expectedly depends on its capability in maintaining its integrity and providing the barrier to isolate pressure and fluid transmission between the wellbore and fractures. In this research, a modified permeability apparatus was used to evaluate the quality of drilling fluid filtercakes. A new criterion defined as filtercake rupture resistance is proposed to characterize the filtercake quality regarding its ability to sustain pressure over an open fracture. Experimental tests were conducted to investigate how filtercake thickness and filtercake yield strength affect the rupture resistance. The mechanism of filtercake in sealing the narrow fractures is explored, and it was observed that solid's plugging/bridging plays the vital role in this mechanism. A thicker and stronger filtercake also contributes to a faster establishment of complete fracture seal. The results of this research can be utilized as a reference that guides the optimization of drilling fluid for continuously strengthening the wellbore.