Drilling fluid is often referred to as "mud". If drilling engineering is compared to the human body, then drilling fluid is its blood. It is a general term for circulating fluids used to meet the needs of different aspects of drilling engineering throughout the entire oil and gas production process. Drilling fluid is a single component that keeps in contact with the wellbore during the whole drilling process. Its main function is to design the drilling fluid formula so that the drilling project can be successfully completed in the wellbore to reach the expected oil formation. So what is the development process of drilling fluid?

Development Overview of Drilling Fluids

1. Initial formation period: From 1888 to 1928, rotary drilling began, initially with clear water.

2. Period of rapid development: From 1928 to 1948, it was found that mud with sand had better carrying capacity than clear water. Thus finely dispersed drilling fluids appear and simple treatments are used.

3. High-speed development period: From 1948 to 1965, it was found that the finely dispersed mud was insufficient: the anti-invasion ability was poor, so it was developed into a coarsely dispersed drilling fluid with calcium treatment and moderate flocculation.

4. Scientific optimization period: 1965~, in high-pressure jet drilling, low solid phase was required, so polymer non-dispersed low solid phase drilling fluid appeared.

From the end of the 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s, drilling fluid systems such as positive gel, silicate, formate, polyol, and biodegradable have appeared successively, and have been widely used. However, none of them have formed the mainstream and cannot completely replace the polymer drilling fluid system.

At the same time, the oil-based drilling fluids that have been used since the 1940s are also developing continuously, from crude oil to diesel oil to mineral oil; from all oil-based to water-in-oil emulsion drilling fluids; from toxic and polluting Oil-based is developed into a low-toxic and non-toxic oil-based drilling fluid.