High temperature and high pressure tribological experiments of advanced polymeric coatings in the presence of drilling mud for oil & gas applications

Extended reach drilling wells enable the reach of large areas of reservoir, and thus higher oil & gas production. However, the friction force encountered between the drilling string and wall set a limitation of the total reach area. In this work, we used an aromatic thermosetting copolyester (ATSP) coating for friction reduction for drilling applications. The results showed that the ATSP coatings reduced the friction at different temperatures by 58%, and in the boundary lubrication regime by 43.7%, compared with bare O1 tool steel material. ATSP exhibited low wear rates, and the wear mechanisms of the coatings and tool steel were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy.