Custom-Engineered Solutions
for Underbalanced Drilling

Underbalanced Drilling


Since first being employed in the 1950's, drilling with air-gas has been strategically utilized in many locations throughout the world, and its advantages are well known:

• Less expensive and faster
• Prevents lost circulation
• Reduced formation damage
• Better show detection
• Less environmental impact

A lesser known advantage of air drilling which has not yet been fully exploited, is its flexibility with respect to drilling in "balance". By using the appropriate equipment and techniques, the imposed bottom-hole pressure can be adjusted to be in balance with the formation pore pressure. It is however an industry-wide misconception that very few wells are suitable candidates for drilling balanced to underbalanced.

Through recent technological advancements, many obstacles have been overcome and what was once unthinkable is now reality. Total Separation Solutions is a leader in this field and is committed to the advancement of underbalanced drilling chemistry.

Air-Gas Drilling Techniques

Dry Air-Gas Drilling

Mist Drilling

Foam Drilling

Aerated-Fluid Drilling


Industry-Changing Developments


Many operators, who have attempted air drilling and failed, have abandoned the technique. It is often due to the difficult task of keeping abreast of the latest technological advancements. The current level of expertise in air drilling technology is comparable to the industry's limited knowledge of hydraulic fracturing methods two decades ago.

Total Separation Solutions is an industry leader in problem-solving product development. Their development of mechanical and chemical products that meet the challenges under balanced drilling presents means that there is now a viable method for drilling underbalanced.

The Chemistry

StaFlow™ Drilling Fluid
The StaFlow™ Drilling Fluid is a highly-inhibitive system designed for conventional and aerated-fluid system requirements.

StaFoam™ Fluid System
The StaFoam Fluid System is a blend of foaming surfactants, shale inhibitors, copolymers, and corrosion inhibitors, developed to adapt to a wide variety of drilling conditions.

Advantages

• Highly effective, corrosion inhibitive drilling fluid system
• Non-flammable drilling fluid system which does not require hazardous shipping
   labels
• Can be adapted to the following drilling conditions
- Mist drilling
- Foam drilling
- Shale drilling
- Drilling in the presence of acid gas and high chlorides
• Eliminates the need for multiple foaming surfactants
• Protects against oxygen, chloride and acidic induced corrosion
• Easily injected into the fluid stream, thus not requiring special mixing or handling
• Biodegradable
• Economical
• The StaFoam Fluid System can be injected continuously “on-the-fly” or batch
   treated


The Rest of the Equation


Total Separation Solutions brings the latest in advanced environmental technologies to develop unique and custom-engineered solutions for underbalanced drilling.


Cross-flow Filtration


Total Separation Solutions cross-flow filtration technology allows cleaning of heavily contaminated completion fluids and drill-in
fluids by reducing the drill solids. Cross-flow filtration allows you to filter continuously when other methods will not. Cross-flow Filter Tubes and Spiral-wound membrane filters have extremely long life and are self-cleaning. While dead-end cartridge filters require change-outs, and DE filters require frequent blow-downs, cross-flow filtration technology allows you to keep on filtering.


SPR™ / SPR Technology



The SPR™ is a safe and problem-free method for heating. It provides even, continuous heat and point-source steam - without surfaces that can scale, or flame that can cause safety concerns. This patented innovative technology uses shockwaves to transfer energy directly to fluid.

SPR technology utilizes controlled cavitation. A spinning disk with closed boreholes around
the circumference creates low pressure areas. Tiny bubbles form and collapse inside of the closed bores. Controlled cavitation efficiently converts mechanical energy into heat. Main-
taining the cavitation inside the closed bore-
holes prevents damage to the unit. Each
individual closed bore acts as micro reactor. Even fluids that flow through in seconds are exposed to thousands of reaction zones.

The SPR™ is also capable of non-shear mixing that enables you to mix similar and dissimilar fluids, or gas into fluids. This technology can be used for microscopic
dynamic mixing of chemicals and polymers
as well as soaps for the improvement of the “Foam Quality” in the underbalanced drilling environment.