关键词: 北极地区, 低温钻井液, 永冻层, 天然气水合物, 钻井液体系

Abstract: The Arctic region possesses abundant oil and gas resources. Driven by a confluence of factors including climate warming, technological advancements, and geoeconomics, oil and gas exploration and development are accelerating in the region; however, the extreme operating environment imposes stringent requirements on the performance of low-temperature drilling fluids. Focusing on the Arctic drilling environment, this study employs VOSviewer software to conduct a visual analysis of literatures related to Arctic low-temperature drilling technologies. It identifies the challenges and technical difficulties in regional drilling operations, systematically reviews the research progress of low-temperature drilling fluids, and provides prospects for future trends. The Arctic region is characterized by an extremely harsh climatic environment, complex and diverse formation structures, sensitive ecosystems, and a lack of infrastructure, all of which pose severe challenges to drilling operations. The widely developed permafrost and natural gas hydrates are both signature geological features of the Arctic and critical research priorities requiring breakthroughs in the field of low-temperature drilling fluid technology. Permafrost is temperature-sensitive and prone to thawing, borehole instability, and collapse during drilling; thermal disturbances can induce the decomposition of natural gas hydrates and shallow free gas near the wellbore, triggering accidents such as gas influx, well kicks, and blowouts. During drilling in natural gas hydrate-bearing formations, variations in temperature and pressure can easily disrupt the hydrate phase equilibrium, leading to decomposition and gasification, which in turn causes complex engineering challenges including borehole instability, formation subsidence, and gas blowouts. Furthermore, the fragile polar ecological environment imposes stringent requirements on the environmental friendliness of drilling fluids. Low-temperature drilling fluids in the Arctic primarily include brine, polymer, oil-based, ester-based, and synthetic ether-based systems; however, existing formulations still face bottlenecks in simultaneously achieving low-temperature stability, wellbore stability control, and ecological compatibility. This paper integrates the existing technologies and proposes that future research should focus on the construction of green, high-performance, low-temperature drilling fluid systems, specifically across four dimensions:optimizing low-temperature rheology, strengthening inhibition and sealing capacities, improving hydrate inhibition effects, and enhancing biodegradability, to support the efficient and safe exploitation of Arctic oil and gas resources.

Key words: Arctic region, low-temperature drilling fluid, permafrost, natural gas hydrate, drilling fluid system