Everything you wanted to know about base oils …..

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 Different classes of base fluids

• Many alternatives are available, vocabulary may be confusing, what

are the differences ?… . .

– Environmentally speaking
Ecotoxicology
Working environment

– Drilling speaking
Viscosity, changes with T,P….
Influence on data interpretation
Elastomer compatibility

– Cost

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A little history

• Crude oil, then diesel oil have been largely used to mix so called « oil
muds  or invert emulsion oil muds » …
• Concerns raised about safety (flammability…), health (irritation, burns ……
Carcinogens , particularly Pahs compounds ) and environment .
•
 Diesel is banned in North sea operations in 1984.
 First generation white mineral oils with aromatics < 5%, high FP (Total
HDF 200 - in 1985).
 HDF 2000 Aromatics <1%
 EDC 95/11 : No aromatics (<10ppm) , no PAH, Low vapor
pressure, Food grade product .
 EDC 99 DW : as 95/11, specifically designed for deep water operations
(lower viscosity, no viscosity changes at low mud line T°)

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Aromatics and Poly Aromatic Compounds -

More than 10000 compounds present in nature :

-Charcoal, tobacco smoke……coal tars, crude oil

or from incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials:

oil ,wood, coal ……

Diesel contains around 25% aromatics of which 2-4% Pahs

•A few of them, from the simplest aromatic rings ….. To

some PAH s rings

Benzene

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Different classes of base fluids

• Vocabulary, definitions : (from OSPARCOM 2000/3) .

 All fluids mixed with a non aqueous base are considered as
OPF(also non-aqueous drilling fluids - NADF)

 Organic phase fluid (OPF) : An organic phase drilling fluid which is

an emulsion of water and other additives in which the continuous
phase is a water- immiscible organic fluid of animal,vegetable or
mineral origin as defined below :
– Oil Base Fluid : low aromatics and paraffinic oils and those mineral
oil based fluids that are neither synthetics fluids nor fluids of a class
whose use is otherwise prohibited (practically 0.5 to 5% aromatics)
– Synthetic Fluid : Highly refined mineral oil based fluid and fluids
derived from vegetable and animal sources
 Use of Diesel and mineral oils with aromatic content > 1% is
prohibited for mixing drilling fluids.

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Ospar Vocabulary

Diesel oil (25 % aro , pahs 2-4%

Conventionnal mineral base fluids
(Aromatic<10%and pah 1-2% )
Raw material = crude Refining
oil
Oil Base Fluids
Low Tox Oil Base Fluids
-Aromatics 0.5 - 5% Pahs<0.35%)
Hydrogenation + Hydro cracking , ….

Synthetic Base Fluids

no aromatics , pahs<0.001%
Raw material =
ethylene paraffins
Chemical Synthesis
olefins

Raw material = fatty esters

oil , vegetable or animal

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 Paraffinic oils

• Total line of products for drilling : HDF 2000, EDC 95/11, EDC99DW :

Molecule breakdown #1
From selected crude oils Hydrogenation Sulfur 2ppm
Aromatics <10%

Hydrocraking
• Paraffins : saturated hydrocarbon
• (C-C only ) C12 to C18
Molecule breakdown # 2
Sulfur 0 ppm
Aromatics & PAH 0 ppm

Step #3 :
Final Composition : Flash Point Viscosity, Fractionation
Pour Point,Vapor pressure
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Synthetics (1)

Olefins (molecule that includes one Linear Alpha olefin (LAO)

C=C…),
Internal olefin (IO)

Dimers or Trimers : Poly Alfa Olefin (PAO)

Ethylene ( H2C = C H2) in

presence of P,T,Catalyst

Paraffins, linear ex : XPO7

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Base oils Chromatograms
EDC 95/11
HPLC Chromatogram

XP07
HPLC Chromatogram

Sampl e 112252w

600000
nC14 EDC 99 DW
HPLC Chromatogram
500000

•High Pressure Liquid Chromatography 400000

300000

•QC of base oils nC13 nC15

200000

100000

20 40 60 80 10 0 120 140

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Synthetics (2)

Esters : obtained from reaction of a fatty acid with alcohol, wide family of
products . Exemple : Petrofree , Finagreen

FATTY FATTY WATER

ALCOHOLS
ACIDS ESTERS

O O H2 O
C - OH + R - OH C-O-R +

O
C-O-R
The C-O Liaison is easier to break than C-C hence better biodegradability
Blends : Esters + Paraffin ( ex Petrofree LE )

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Environmental problems attached to the use of NABM

• Total uses the term NABM (Non aqueous base muds) anytime it is referred to this
type of fluid

• Whether called LTOBM (Low Tox Oil Base Muds ), SBM (synthetic based muds) all
are Organic Phase Fluids .
• All are hydrocarbon combinations, more or less water - insoluble, whose
constituents represent a danger for living organisms (fauna or flora), acute or long
term :
 Aromatics or Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) : the more
dangerous for acute and long term (carcinogenic, mutagenic )
 Saturated HC : Biodegradability variable , toxicity variable
 Tainting of marine organisms(fish)
 Risks of bio accumulation in living organisms
• Working environment :
 Safety : flash point ………….preferably >100°C
 Irritation (dermal ) or by inhalation : vapor pressure as low as possible.

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Company rule - CR FPP 255

 Safety and Health

– Crude oil (even stabilised) shall not be used to prepare NABM.
– Diesel oil shall not be used to prepare NABM.

– The base fluid “flash point” (PMCC) used to mix the NABM shall be 10°C over the maximum flow line mud
temperature during drilling operations.

– When a NABM is used, the content in aromatics of the base fluid shall be less than 3% by weight. The
measure being performed by UV spectrophotometer

 Environment :
– no NABM or base fluid shall be dumped to the sea or to the environment.
– Offshore, the NABM cuttings may be discharged to the sea provided that :

• The volume of base fluid discharged with cuttings to the sea for NABM drilled phases of one
completed well is not exceeding 8 % by weight (weight of base fluid by weight of dry retorted

cuttings) or is as the local regulation, if more stringent

• The daily average retention of base fluid of disposed dry NABM drilled cuttings to the sea for any

drilling phase is not exceeding 14 % by weight (weight of base fluid by weight of dry retorted

cuttings) or is as the local regulation, if more stringent. ) .

– Onshore, the NABM cuttings shall be stabilised prior to be disposed to the environment or re injected .

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Ecotoxicology

• Ecotox tests , Current marine toxicity tests All pass except diesel

• Biodegradability in presence of oxygen : % in 28 days all pass except diesel

& first generation mineral oils (% Aromatic Hydrocarbons >2)

• Biodegradability in absence of oxygen : % in 60 days all fail except esters

• No bio accumulation since non water soluble

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Regulations, current trends

• International organisms set minimum recommendations

• Dependant on each country regulations, location (open sea/river delta), trend is towards
more restrictions.
 In all cases : discharge of diesel drilled cuttings is banned, minimum standard is use of a
base fluid with Aromatic Hydrocarbons content < 5%.
 Exemptions granted in most cases for dumping cuttings drilled with other Organic Phase
Fluids, examples:
– Indonesia :dump of cuttings from mineral oil not allowed in delta, allowed in deeper waters.
– UK : from 1/01/2001, no dumping to sea floor of cuttings drilled with organic fluids , except if
drilled with esters.
– Often : Limit on OOC (oil on cuttings) + Synthetic base fluid
• Onshore …….
– Usually Limit is set as a maximum % Hydrocarbon / dry cuttings whatever the origin, (quite
often the limit is 1% OOC maximum )
OOC (oil on cuttings) as a weight % by weight of dry cuttings ( beware of what it represents in people's mind ! By day ? For the well? Dry or wet

cuttings ?)

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Influence of selection of base fluid on drilling performances : Viscosity &
stability f (T°)

• Esters begin to hydrolyze at T around 150°C , paraffin stable up to 220 °C

• Viscosity varies with (T) and (P) ……Final viscosity of mud ! High PV, Pressure
loss

Pressure influence on viscosity (at 4°C)

80 Viscos ity variation function of tem perature for bas e fluids at atm ospheric
pres s ure
70 40

60
EDC 99 DW 35
BDMF ester

HDF 2000 Hdf 2000

50 30
Viscosity cpo

EDC 99DW
Finagreen BDMF 25
40

Viscosity (cSt)
20
30
15
20
10
10
5
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Pressure psi T emperature (°C)

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Influence of selection of base fluid on drilling performances : Exploration &
Development aspects

• Oil vs source rock , correlations by geochemistry is based on identification of

biomarkers located C25, C35 :
– Requires narrow Chromatogram spectrum (C14-C18) : pure oils
recommended ( EDC 99DW vs HDF 2000 )

• MDT samples contamination

– To reconstitute composition of oil in place polluted by filtrate : possible if
Alcanes peaks clearly marked (ie C14) .

• Log interpretation
– Esters and neutron log

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Influence of selection of base fluid on drilling performances : Elastomer
compatibility

• Aniline point can be used as reference :

– Diesel is the lowest 65° to 70°C

– Mineral oil , Synthetics usually have aniline point > 80°C
– The less aromatics , the less aggressive : as a basic rule elastomer ok for
diesel are ok for paraffin oils .
– Conditions of exposure are important (P,T,Time,constraints…)

• New base fluids undergo tests with main type of rubber before release

• Esters more aggressive to elastomer ( avoid EPDM, neoprene, polychloroprene)

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Influence of selection of base fluid on drilling performances : Cost

• Diesel OBM : 250 to 300 Usd / m3

• HDF 2000 type OBM : 500 to 550 Usd /m3

• EDC 99 DW type (synthetic from mineral origin ) : 850 to 900 Usd /m3

• XPO7 type (synthetic) : 1200 to 1300 Usd /m3

• Cost of base oil tied to crude cost, typical revision every 6 month according formula :
– USD /m3= (GO + Fixed part ) * 0.81

Where GO = Platts Gasoil EN 590 FOB Rotterdam in $ per metric ton (int’l reference)
Fixed part = (Cost of processing + transport + margin )

(Nigeria : 1168 Jul 2002 ----1357 jul 04 -------------janv 06 =1774 USD/M3)

Proper selection of Base fluid has an important impact on final cost

Think of alternate :

– Water base ……..

– Proper definition of environmental requirements.

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