Petroleum & Petrochemical Engineering Journal (PPEJ)

ISSN: 2578-4846

Research Article

A New Chemical Inhibitor to Mitigate Swelling of Sodium and Calcium Bentonite during Drilling Process

Authors: Osei DA*, Chavez N, Ruse CM and Osumanu J

DOI: 10.23880/ppej-16000394

Abstract

Clay swelling during drilling operations is one of the challenges faced in the oil industry. While both oil-based and syntheticbased muds have been successful at reducing clay swelling, the environmental concerns of oil-based muds and the high cost of synthetic-based muds limit their usage. Commercial water-based inhibitors like sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), cesium formate (CHCsO2), ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), and tetramethylammonium chloride (C4H12NCl-) are commonly used. However, some inhibitors have limitations, such as the toxicity of KCl, which according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cannot be used at concentrations higher than 5%. Other limitations include their impact on the rheology of drilling mud, cost (CHCsO2, C4H12NCl-), and their limited behaviour at high temperatures and pressures (NaCl). In this study, novel clay inhibitors for water-based drilling muds were characterized. A capillary suction timer (CST), a filtration time test, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for the experiments. Testing was conducted on Na and Ca bentonite mixed with water-based drilling mud (WBDM) and commercial inhibitors, as well as novel inhibitors at 3%, 4%, and 5% concentrations.

Keywords: Water Based Drilling Muds; Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy; Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy; X-ray Diffraction; Scanning Electronic Microscope

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