GREEN

CHEMISTRY

THAT

WORKS

Quantum EFWater-Based Drilling Fluid

for Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling

R A P I D E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S

introductionQuantum EF is a next-generation green drilling fluid designed specifically for drilling unconventional shale formations. The combination of a water external phase with a plant-derived oil internal phase coupled with plant-derived, biodegradable, high performance surfactants make the Quantum EF an ideal drilling fluid for unconventional shale projects.

Green Chemistry That Works

Our Quantum EF Drilling Fluid System

applies five green chemistry principles:

★ It is better to prevent waste than to

treat it or clean it up after it is formed.

★ Quantum EF requires no tradeoff

between performance and

environmental friendliness.

★ Quantum EF’s uses renewable, rather

than depleting, raw materials.

★ Quantum EF breaks down after use

into innocuous components and does

not persist in the environment.

★ Quantum EF allows operators to avoid

exposing workers to known

carcinogens in diesel-based mud.

G R E E N C H E M I S T R Y T H A T W O R K S

Quantum EF : A Next Generation Fluid

The Quantum EF Drilling Fluid System is designed as a generational advancement over

earlier drilling fluid systems, most of which were green in name only. In the development

of any drilling fluid product, the generally accepted standard for “green product”

designation changes over time. What once was considered green ten or twenty years ago

is no longer considered minimally acceptable. The standards for a “green” product are for

the most part an industry-based standard.

The researchers at Rapid, recognizing this trend, selected fluid ingredients never before

combined in the construction of a drilling fluid. The unique (patent-pending) Quantum EF

ingredients are specially selected from entirely non-toxic, safe emulsifiers and surfactants.

Plant-derived, these same ingredients are sufficiently safe that they have been approved for

use in cosmetic and food additives.

Working For Our Future Generations

At Rapid, we also recognize that what is used today may affect future

generations. This consideration is not new, however, it has elevated in

priority for the energy industry. To that end, the Rapid team worked to

develop a new drilling fluid able to function at high performance but also

minimize environmental impact from drilling a well.

Rapid’s main goals in developing the new Quantum EF Drilling Fluid

System are:

1. Product Performance

2. Environmental Security

3. Customer Value

These three goals served as guiding principles during the Quantum EF

development process.

PERFORMANCE

A Unique Drilling Fluid

The Quantum EF Drilling Fluid System represents a unique approach to building a drilling fluid. It uses water as its major phase and a plant-derived oil as its minor phase. These two phases are

emulsified using an emulsifier combination designed to engage both phases quickly into a highly stable oil-in-water emulsion. The unique (patent-pending) emulsifier combination provides several added functional performance benefits.

The stable mixture of oil in water created by the emulsifiers, combining water with plant-derived

oils, provides high performance lubricity characteristics. Equally important, the emulsion creates a tight filter cake. At higher pressures, the emulsion can virtually seal off seepage through the mud filter cake within the wellbore.

In laboratory simulation of mud infiltration into representative core samples, Quantum EF cleans up with simple gas flow through the core., which offers an effective return permeability characteristic.

Control Solids

With any drilling fluid, solids control is a key fluid property control. Poor solids control equals

poor fluid quality, regardless the fluid type. In the Quantum EF fluid system, low gravity solids (LGS) are managed in much the same manner as in any drilling fluid. Proper screen selection on shakers and efficient centrifuge operations make LGS a manageable issue. Rapid’s Fluid Engineers work

regularly with customers to evaluate and select the best solids control equipment for the Quantum EF system. Even when the best solids control systems are used on drilling projects, LGS can increase to a point where they negatively affect the fluid’s rheology. In low-weight Quantum EF

systems (< 10.0 ppg), a portion of the system can be isolated and treated with a flocculating polymer. This treatment significantly reduces LGS while retaining a great percentage of the active Quantum EF emulsion ingredients. This feature allows the total volume of the active mud system to be more effectively managed and avoids the “dump-and-dilute” scenario.

Fluid Loss Controlled

Excessive API fluid loss, commonly known as water

loss in water-based fluids, can lead to many

problems directly affecting wellbore stability. The

unique emulsion technology in Quantum EF helps

control fluid loss. The unique chemical

characteristics of Quantum EF lock up water, limiting

its ability to travel across the emulsion-saturated

filtrate layer on the formation face. Any filtrate lost

to the formation carries with it advanced shale-

stabilizing agents and surface active components.

The fluid loss value is viewed as a direct indication

of emulsion strength, and an indication of water-wet

condition of formations. An added benefit is how

Quantum EF can use supplemental filtrate-reducing

products to reduce fluid loss value further. Rapid

FracSeal™ can be added to the Quantum EF

system to promote a thin, smooth, yet tough filter

cake on the wellbore. The addition of Rapid

FracSeal™ increases particle size distribution and

decreases the amount of fluid loss into the

formation.

Unique Rheology

With Quantum EF, it is possible to operate the

drilling fluid system at lower yield point values and

maintain quality low-shear rheological values (6 and

3 RPM readings). This translates into better

turbulent flow and enhanced hole-cleaning

capabilities of the drilling fluid in deviated and

horizontal well sections. The fluid, due to strong

initial gel strength without progression of the 10-

minute gel value, demonstrates an exceptional

capacity to suspend drill solids with low or no pump

pressure. Solids remain suspended in a static fluid

condition, reducing any tendency to form cuttings

beds in angled or deviated sections of the open

hole. Quantum EF rheology can be adjusted to

accommodate hole conditions and customer

specifications.

QUANTUM EF Proving To Be The Choice For Unconventional Shales

“Performance Without

Exceptions”

A Clean Substitute For Oil Mud

In unconventional shale areas, oil-based muds

have been the preferred mud systems. When

water-based muds have been used, the results

have been less than favorable. Wellbore

problems have led to high costs and well

completion problems.

The Quantum EF Drilling Fluid System is proving

to drilling operators in the field to outperform

oil-based muds, breaking from tradition. Even

though the system uses water as its “major

phase,” qualifying it technically as a water-based

fluid, up close it looks, feels and most importantly

drills like an oil mud system. As a direct result of

its unique (patent-pending) emulsion system,

Quantum EF proves to outperform diesel,

distillate, and synthetic oil mud systems.

Saying “NO” to oil-based mud means fewer

handling issues with drill cuttings. With Quantum

EF, there’s no need for a cuttings drier to recover

oil base, saving tens of thousands of dollars in

rental and disposal costs.

Save On Trucking

Another great feature- Quantum EF uses local

water supply to build system volume, minimizing

trucking expenses to deliver oil for maintaining

and increasing system volume.

Drilling Job Complete- Now What?

In any projects using oil-based mud or highly

treated water-based muds, post-job cleanup is

required. In all cases where any type (or brand)

of oil mud is used to drill a well, post-job

remediation is required. That’s not the case with

Quantum EF. Because Quantum EF is water-

based and contains all-natural, plant-derived

ingredients, it leaves little mess to clean up. The

drilling mud can simply be re-conditioned and

used on the next drilling program. If the drilling

program is not moving to a new well site, the

total mud system can go through a Quantum

Floc treatment. The Quantum Floc treatment will

drop all solids from within the mud system (drill

solids, solid additives, and barite), leaving a base

fluid containing Quantum ingredients. This fluid

can be easily recycled by Rapid into other active

Quantum EF applications, or inventory for

building future Quantum EF drilling systems.

Quantum EF Out Performs Other Drilling Fluids

Quantum EF Reduces Drilling Days

0

7.5

15

22.5

30

Comparison

Quantum 1 Quantum 2 Oil Based Mud

Tota

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Day

s

Qu

an

tum

1

Qu

an

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2

Oil

Bas

ed

Mu

dQuantum EF reduces drilling days when compared to oil based

mud application. In actual field drilling application Quantum EF

lowered drilling days by as much as 6 days when compared to

oil based mud drilling in the same field to the same depth.

The Quantum EF wells drilled laterals averaging 4100 feet in

length whereas the oil based mud well drilled a lateral of only

3000 feet.

The Quantum EF wells were able to achieve longer lateral

sections due to superior control of drilling process and lower

drag on drill string.

Throughout the lateral section, Quantum EF prevented cuttings

beds from interfering with the drilling process.

ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

How Green Is Quantum EF?

Testing of Quantum EF confirms over 90% biodegradable carbon content within its

active ingredient phase.

What does “biodegradable” carbon really mean?

It means the carbon molecules in Quantum EF ingredients are easily biodegraded

by naturally occurring microbes in the soil and water. Compare this to

petrochemical-based additives, also carbon-based, which are not biodegradable

when released into the environment.

Biodegradability testing of soils mixed with drill cuttings taken from Quantum EF

projects have reported non-detectable levels of Quantum EF in fewer than seven

days. Several soil samples reported no evidence of Quantum EF in cuttings/soil

mixtures immediately after a 1:1 mixture of cuttings plus soil. What’s this telling

us? We believe it says Quantum EF may be the greenest performance drilling fluid

ever developed.

Safe In Soil

Mixing Quantum EF into synthetic soil samples and exposing ground worms for a

period of 14 days reports 100% survival of the test worms. In fact, the worms in

the test soil not only survived but were noted to gain in weight during the test.

Plant Growth Testing Proves Quantum EF Beneficial To Soil

Independent laboratory testing of Quantum EF under controlled conditions proved just as favorable for plant growth. In a 21-day

test, seeds of Northern Wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus) showed 100% emergence in artificial soil at nine test concentrations,

ranging up to 100%. Plants were evaluated for emergence, longest shoot, root length and root dry mass at the end of the test

period. The independent lab test reported that Quantum EF demonstrated no signs of plant inhibition.

Quantum EF Keeps It Clean

Quantum EF helps keep the environment clean. Quantum EF contains NO AROMATICS so there are no emissions or exposure concerns for

oil rig workers. The active ingredients within Quantum EF are based on a plant-derived cosmetic class of surfactants. Environmental exposure

from a drilling fluid can happen at any of several points: handling the fluids at the well-site; transporting them to and from the well-site;

tripping pipe; and others. None of the Quantum EF ingredients require special handling or site reporting if spilled on location.

Quantum EF Cuttings Cleaner

Shale With Water Rinse

“Clean Cuttings With Quantum EF”

When using an oil-based drilling mud or highly

treated conventional water-based drilling mud,

drill cuttings can result in substantial job cost

increases. The cuttings must be disposed at

proper waste sites, which can be located a

great distance from the drill site.

By contrast, drill cuttings on Quantum EF

projects can be easily rinsed free of any residual

Quantum EF drilling fluid with the simple

application of rinse water.

This simple, low-pressure

water rinse can be

accomplished using the rig-

mounted equipment or by

using a supplemental

Quantum EF Cuttings

Cleaning system. The Quantum EF

cuttings cleaner offers an easily operated

equipment design. Cuttings are loaded by front-

end loader into the hopper. The hopper feeds

the cuttings onto a shale shaker screen, where

water is applied onto the cuttings. The water

stream rinses the residual Quantum EF off of

the cuttings and drops into the holding tank

below.

The water is recirculated and, at pre-

determined intervals, pumped back into the

active mud system as water make-up.

This system makes efficient use of the water by

recovering valuable Quantum EF from the

cuttings and returning it to

the active system.

Reduce Overall Job Cost With Quantum EF Clean Cuttings Program

QUANTUM EF = CUSTOMER VALUE

A Total Value Approach

Quantum EF has proven to provide customers with value and savings in several

areas of their drilling projects:

The improved rate of penetration with Quantum EF reduces drilling days, saving on

rig costs.

The faster rate of penetration also limits the open-hole exposure to the

formation, minimizing secondary hole problems such as sloughing shale.

Exceptional shale inhibition with Quantum EF allows for gauged hole. In turn, a

gauged hole reduces cement volume when setting casing. Given that Quantum EF

is a water-based fluid with highly surface active properties and is easily water-

rinsed from all surfaces greatly improving casing bond between cement and casing

wall.

In extended horizontal sections, drillers using Quantum EF have achieved greater

weight-on-bit values than at similar sections with other fluids, pointing to the fact

that Quantum EF reduces the coefficient of friction. This leads to superior control

in directional drilling of lateral sections.

Quantum EF

Rapid Energy Services, llc1424 S. Hugh Wallis RoadLafayette, LA 70508

T 337-291-2778F 337-291-2781www.r ap idener gyser v ices .com

Water-Based Drilling Fluid

for Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling