Effect of the Filtrate Fluid of Water-Based Mud on Sandstone Rock Strength and Elastic Moduli

[Image: see text] During drilling operations, the filtrate fluid of the drilling mud invades the drilled rock. The invading filtrate fluid will interact with the rock and therefore alter the rock internal topography, pore system, elastic moduli, and rock strength. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the mud filtrate of barite-weighted water-based mud on the geomechanical properties of four types of sandstone rocks (Berea Buff, Berea Spider, Bandera Brown, and Parker). The mud filtrate was collected to provide mud filtrate–rock exposure at a pressure of 300 psi and 200 °F temperature for 10 days. The study assessed the alteration in the rock geomechanics employing an integrated laboratory analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scratch testing. The ultrasonic results showed changes after exposure to the mud filtrate and an obvious reduction trend in the shear wave velocities due to the dissolution and mineralogical modifications in rock samples. The obtained results displayed a general strength reduction for the four sandstone types with different levels. The strength reduction ranged from 6% reduction for Berea Spider to a record 23% reduction for Parker. For all sandstone types, Young’s modulus showed a general reduction ranging from 11 to 40%, while Poisson’s ratio recorded an increase by 62–155% after the filtrate interaction. The study illustrated the role of pore-system alteration in controlling the rock strength and dynamic moduli.