Valerie Lafitte

Chapter 12:Applications of Wormlike Micelles in the Oilfield Industry

Over approximately the past 20 years, viscoelastic surfactant fluids containing wormlike micelles (WLMs) have been applied in numerous oil and gas well treatments, including hydraulic fracturing, matrix acidizing, wellbore fill removal, and gravel packing. Surfactant-based fluids often offer operational benefits including efficient preparation, effective particle transport, significant drag reduction, and minimum residue. To address different applications and conditions of temperature and salinity, a variety of surfactant types have been employed, including cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic chemistries. Current research continues to investigate both the fundamentals and applications of WLM fluids, including the possibility of adding nanoparticles to enhance fluid rheology and stability.