Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2(1), pp. 18-22, 2013 Available online at http://www.cjasr.

com ISSN: 2251-9114, 2012 CJASR

Full Length Research Paper The Formulation Of Water Based Drilling Fluid From Local Materials
O.N. EKEIGWE*1 , C.K. ANYIAM2, M.D. AYO3 and L.O. EKEBAFE3
2

Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, AnambraState University, Uli, Nigeria Department of Polymer and Textile Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria 3 Polymer Technology Department, Auchi Polytechnic, PMB 13, Auchi, Nigeria E-mail: osiblaise@yahoo.com Telephone: +234-806-957-8855
Received 01 October 2012; Accepted 01 December 2012

The fluid loss property of mud formulated with variable quantities of starch and cellulose extracted from cassava and their rheological properties have been studied. The outcome was compared with those of the standard mud formulated from Polyanionic Cellulose (PAC) and Industrial starc. The results show that increasing the concentration of starch in the mud system does not give a significant change in fluid loss property. Which suggest that Cellulose is a better fluid loss control agent than Starch. Hence these polymers have potentials as polymeric additives for drilling mud. Also, the water loss analysis showed that the local drilling fluid has a lower fluid loss of between 3.20-7.70 mls and a Plastic viscosity (PV) value of 10 centipoids (Cp) as against 14 Cp of the standard mud. Confirming that the local (Polymer) mud has the ability to maintain optimal pressure and torque in the borehole, hence preventing the problem of stuck pipe during drilling operations. Again, the Polymer mud has a yield point of 30lbs/1000ft2 as against 42lbs/1000ft2 of the standard mud. Confirming that the polymer mud conforms to the standard range of (30-40lbs/1000ft2) as the required range of Yield Point (YP) that will ensure the removal of cuttings from a large diameter hole. Key words: Hura Crepitans; Rheological properties, polyanionic cellulose (PAC), yield point, plastic viscosity, Standard mud

1. INTRODUCTION Drilling fluid is a mixture consisting of solids, liquids and gases distributed throughout a liquid or gaseous phase, which is circulated through the well bore during rotary drilling process, Acevedo (2007). The search for greener products for well bore drilling that will achieve a good level of performance particularly with local materials is being intensified. Although, substantial strides have been made in the development of environmentally friendly, sound performance chemistry for corrosion inhibition, demulsifiers etc, much has not been done in the development of such mud systems with local materials. Drilling operations rely heavily on the use of water based muds. Acevedo, (2007). and Gray (1988). These are mixtures of solids, liquids and chemicals. Water is the continuous phase. Active solids like bentonite are added to the water. Bentonite acts mainly as the dispersed phase providing the main gel structure. Chemical additives are added in various proportions to control the fluid properties.

These chemicals additives are commonly used for the control of pH, viscosity, weight, fluid loss Rogers, (1963). The major success of every drilling operation depends solely on the performance of its drilling fluids. In the cause of the continuous search for efficient, biodegradable and environmentally friendly polymers for use in the formulation of drilling muds, the objective of this work is to study the applicability in the formulation of a drilling mud of starch extracted from cassava and cellulose extracted from cassava stem. These additives would be used to replace conventional polymers as fluid loss agents. The search for petroleum reserves has become significantly more expensive with the move into deep-water, and more hostile environment, where it becomes very necessary for drilling operations to excel in many performance categories,Bello M.A (2001):. Measurement of performance encompasses all key parameters of drilling operation and their associated cost. A fluid is evaluated by its influence on overall well cost,Darley and Gray(1988), Abdon(1989).

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Ekeigwe et al. The Formulation Of Water Based Drilling Fluid From Local Materials

Drilling fluids have various functions of assuring a safe and speedy drilling operation at minimum overall cost. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 CASSAVA STARCH EXTRACTION The cassava tuber was harvested from a farmland in Ehime Mbano, Imo State, Nigeria, peeled, grated and water added, while sieving with a white cloth to separate the chaff from the liquid (syrup), after which it was dried under the sun to prevent fermentation. All the reagents used in this research work were supplied by Best Land and Sea Services (BLS) Port-Harcourt, Nigeria and are of analytical grade. Acevedo J.C, (2007) 2.2 CASSAVA CELLULOSE EXTRACTION The whitish substance found in the stem of cassava was extracted and treated with 17% sodium hydroxide solution and allowed to stay for few hours after which it was reacted with 2% solution of chloroacetic acid, stirred and allowed to stand for few hours and the resultant material washed and blended into a very fine powdered form. Acevedo J.C, (2007) 2.3 Bentonite Preparation. 10grams of bentonite was dissolved in 350mls of water and properly mixed using electric mixer for 5 mins. The resultant solution was left overnight for proper yielding. 2.4 Mud Formulation Procedure 350mls of bentonite solution was measured out into the electric mixer and the correct measurement

of each material additive added at 5mins interval according to order of additive in Table 1. After about 30mins, the resultant mud was brought down for weighing with mud balance. 350mls of the bentonite solution was agitated in the mixer and each material additive was added at five minutes interval according to order of additives and the resultant mud was agitated for a period of one hour, Anchor(1985) 2.5 Preparation of Polymer (study) Mud The preparation of the polymer mud was same as above but for the replacement of PAC with cassava cellulose (1.50g) and Industrial starch with cassava starch (4.00g). Subsequent formulations were carried out by varying the concentration of the cassava starch and cassava cellulose

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 SHEAR STRESS / SHEAR RATE From Tables 2 and 3, it could be deduced that there is a remarkable increase between shear rates and shear stress hence the shear rates of the two mud systems increased with increase shear stress, exhibiting behavior close to the Bingham plastic model at a marked difference from the Newtonian fluid model as the line does not pass through the origin when a graph of sheer- stress is plotted against shear rate in Fig (1) Shear stress is the resistance which opposes shearing and until the applied force exceeds the yield stress, flow will not be initiated, Beihoffer et al (1990). The yield stress that must be exceeded for flow to be initiated is the "yield point"

Table 1:Standard Mud Preparation Composition

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Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2(1), pp. 18-22, 2013

Table 2: Results of Standard mud (PAC+ Industrial Starch)

Table 3: Results of Polymer Starch Mud (Cassava Cellulose + Cassava Starch)

From Tables 2 and 3, a plot of viscosity against shear rates shows that increase in shear rate also decreases the viscosities thus suggesting that the two mud systems have good hole cleaning properties hence they are good drilling fluids, Beihoffer et al, (1992), Bethlen (1990). The higher viscosity values for the standard mud suggest that there is a higher degree of substitution by carboxyl groups causing the polymer to have a higher degree of dispersion or yield in the mud causing the polymer chains to uncoil, this subsequently causes the long and straightened polymer chains to bridge together forming a structure which raises viscosity, Bland (1991), OBrien and Chenvert (1973), and Baroid (1999).

From Tables 4, standard mud has higher fluid loss compared to polymer mud. The two systems have same fluid loss value of 5.80cm3 at 10min in standard mud and at 25min in polymer mud which goes to show that polymer muds are good for filtration control at the well site since this is the only practical test that gives an insight into the ability of a mud system to control filtration loss into formation, lwu I.C, (2003): Onwuta V., (1989), Osuji C.E, (2008):. There seem to be an initial high rate of fluid loss in polymer muds, which later decreased with time. The decrease is suspected to be as a result of the formation of filter cake on the filter paper, which minimizes the fluid loss as it is deposited, OBrien and Chenvert (1973), and Baroid (1999).

Table 4; Fluid Loss Vs Time for Standard Mud.(SM) and Polymer Mud (PM).

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Ekeigwe et al. The Formulation Of Water Based Drilling Fluid From Local Materials

Fig 1. Plot of Shear Stress Vs. Shear rate

Fig 2. Plot of viscosity against shear ract

4. CONCLUSION Drilling fluids (muds) have been formulated from local materials (cassava starch and cellulose). The results show that increasing the concentration of starch in the mud system does not give a significant change in fluid loss property. Which suggest that Cellulose is a better fluid loss control agent than Starch. Hence these polymers have potentials as polymeric additives for drilling mud. Increase in the concentration of cassava cellulose to 4.5ppg gave a fluid loss value of 5mls while cassava starch is suitable for mud with high salinity as they are not liable to bacterial degradation but not for mud exposed to high

temperature of about 94C due to their susceptibility to thermal degradation. Polymer muds produced are cheap and dissolve readily without the tendency to form fish eyes. This inherent property of these polymer muds, coupled with its cheapness, would account for a reduced overall well cost. Increase in the concentration of the cassava cellulose will only introduce pressure, which is a negligible factor in the rheoiogy of water base muds. The comparative study of the rheological test results of the two mud systems shows outstanding properties exhibited by the polymer mud as regards plastic viscosity (PV), gel strength and yield Point (YP).

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Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2(1), pp. 18-22, 2013

REFERENCES Flocculated Polymer Mud for HTHP Drilling, SPE 17924, Presented at the SPE Middle-East Oil Technical Conference & Exhibition, Bahrain, March 11-14. Acevedo, J.C, (2007); M.Sc Thesis on Shale Membrane Efficiency Experimental Study Using Water Base Muds University of Texas at Austin. Anchor Drilling Fluids (1985); Engineering Manual, Edition No1. Beihoffer, T.W. et al, (1990); The Development of an Inhibitive Cationic Drilling Fluid for SlimHole Coring Applications, SPE Paper 19953, presented at the 1990 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Houston, Feb.27-Mar.2. Beihoffer, T.W., et al, (1992); Cationic Polymer Drilling Fluid can sometimes replace Oil-base Mud, Oil and Gas Journal. Vol. 90. Bello M.A (2001): Polymers-The Chemistry and Technology of Modern Materials; Concept Publications Lagos, Nigeria, pp116-118 Bethlen, G.A., (1990); Application of the ThermaDrill System in Eastern Venezuela, 21st Petroleum conference and Exhibition Siofok, Hungary, September 26-30.

Bland, R. (1991); Development of New Water-Base Mud formulations, Royal Society of Chemistry, Vol.97, pp83-98. Darley, C.H. & Gray, R.G., (1988); Composition and Properties of Drilling and Completion Fluids. (Fifth Edition), Gulf Publishing Company, April 5, page 401-415 lwu I.C, (2003): M.Sc Thesis on "Physico-Chemical Characterization of Some Selected Drilling Fluid's" University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.pp. 32-40 OBrien, D.E. & Chenevert, M.E., (1973); Stabilizing Sensitive Shales with inhibited Potassium Base Drilling Fluids, Journal of Technology, pp 1089-1100. Onwuta V., (1989), An integrate Approach for Solution and Treatment When Drilling Through Troublesome Shales with Water Based Mud. Paper SPENC 8901 Presented at SPE Nigeria Council 13th Annual Conference Lagos pp 15-30 Osuji C.E, (2008): M.Sc. Thesis on "Effect of Porosity and Permeability On the Membrane Efficiency of Shales" University of Texas at Austin pp.54-64 The Baroid Fluids Handbook, (1999); Baroid Drilling Fluids Inc, Houston, Texas.pp.198205

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