Effect of Cassava Starch and Sodium Carbonate on the Properties of Local Drilling Mud: Beneficiation to Improve the Rheological and Flow Properties of Locally Formulated Mud
Drilling mud is a key component in drilling
operations and in accessing oil and gas reservoirs. Bentonite is applied as a
viscosifier, fluid loss control agent, and as a weighting material in
water-based drilling mud. The type of bentonite used in drilling mud
formulation is sodium bentonite due to its high dispersion properties and high
swelling capacity. Nigeria has a huge bentonite clay deposit resources which
can be evaluated and enhanced in order to be utilized as drilling mud. However,
bentonite clay from different parts of Nigeria was investigated and found to be
calcium bentonite which is not suitable for drilling mud, because it has low
swelling capacity and poor rheological properties. In this study, local
bentonite obtained from Afuze, Edo state was used to formulate different
samples of drilling mud with each treated using thermo-chemical beneficiation
process with sodium carbonate and cassava starch, and then undergo
characterization to identify the changes in physical properties and finally, draw
comparison with API values for standard drilling mud. The results obtained from
this study indicates that, the flow and rheological properties of the
beneficiated drilling mud developed through thermo-chemical treatment, showed
significant improvement compared to the untreated mud. Therefore, pure calcium
bentonite from natural deposits in Nigeria can be modified to sodium bentonite
and sufficiently used in drilling mud formulation.
References
[1]
Ademiluyi, F.T., Harry, T.F., Joel, O.F. and Oduola, K. (2016) Performance Evaluation of Local Cassava Starches with Imported Starch for Drilling Fluid. American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER), 5, 111-120.
[2]
Afolabi, R.O., Efeovbokan, V. and Orodu, O. (2017) Properties and Application of Nigerian Bentonite Clay Deposits for Drilling Mud Formulation: Recent Advances and Future Prospects. Applied Clay Science, 143, 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2017.03.009
Bourgoyne, A.T., Millheim, K.K., Chenevert, M.E. and Young, F.S. (1991) Applied Drilling Engineering. SPE Textbook Series Vol. 2. Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson.
[5]
Dewu, B.B., Arabic, S.A., Oladipo, M.O., Funtua, I.I., Mohammed-Dabo, L.A. and Muhammad, A.M. (2011) Improvement of Rheological Properties of Bentonite Clays Using Sodium Carbonate and a Synthetic Viscosifier. International Archive of Applied Science & Technology, 2, 43-52.
[6]
Offiong, A., Okorie, A. and Okon, A. (2016) Activation of Local Bentonite Clays for Use as Viscosifiers in Water-Based Drilling Fluids. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 12, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.9734/JSRR/2016/28719
[7]
Falode, O.A., Ehinola, O.A. and Nebeife, P.C. (2007) Evaluation of Local Bentonite Clay as Oil Well Drilling Fluids in Nigeria. Applied Sciences, 39, 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2007.04.011
[8]
Igbani, S., Peletiri, S.P. and Egba, S.U. (2015) A Study on the Individual Impact of Cassava Starch and Hydroxyl Propyl-Modified Starch on Mud Density. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 29, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V29P201
[9]
Chilingarian, G.V. and Vorabutr, P. (1983) Drilling and Drilling Fluids. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 149-151.
[10]
Elward-Berry, J. and Darby, J.B. (1997) Rheologically Stable, Non-Toxic, High Temperature, Water Based Drilling Fluid. SPE Drilling & Completion, 12, 158-162. https://doi.org/10.2118/24589-PA
[11]
Magzoub, M.I., Nasser, M.S., Hussein, I.A., Benamor, A., Onaizi, S.A., Slutan, A. and Mahmoud, E. (2017) Effects of Sodium Carbonate Addition, Heat and Agitation on Swelling Rheological Behaviour of Ca-Bentonite Colloidal Dispersion. Applied Clay Science, 147, 176-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2017.07.032
[12]
Nwosu, D.C., Ejikeme, P.C.N. and Ejikeme, E.M. (2013) Physico-Chemical Characterization of “Ngwo” White Clay for Industrial Use. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Engineering, 4, 11-14.
[13]
Okologume, W.C. and Akinwumi, A.E. (2016) Comparative Study of Basic Properties of Mud Prepared with Nigerian Local Clay and Mud Prepared with Foreign Clay: A Case Study of Abbi Clay Deposits. International Journal of Engineering and Technologies, 8, 61-71. https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/IJET.8.61
[14]
Emofurieta, W.O. and Odeh, A.O. (2012) Rheological Characterization of Shale-Mud Interactions. Energy Science and Technology, 3, 45-50.
[15]
Shadravan, A. and Amani, M. (2012) What Every Engineer or Geoscientist Should Know about High Pressure High Temperature Wells. Kuwait International Petroleum Conference, Kuwait City, 12-14 December 2012. https://doi.org/10.2118/163376-MS
[16]
Neff, J.M., McKelvie, S. and Ayers, R.C. (2000) Environmental Impacts of Synthetic Based Drilling Fluids. Report Prepared for MMS by Robert Ayers and Associates, Inc., U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans, 1-10.
[17]
Emofurieta, W.O. and Odeh, A.O. (2010) Swelling Characteristics of Shales and their Dispersion in Drilling Muds II. Energy Sources, Part A, 33, 12-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567030903076982
[18]
Emofurieta, W.O. and Odeh, A.O. (2010) Swelling Characteristics of Shales and Their Dispersion in Drilling Muds III. Petroleum Science and Technology, 28, 1535-1543. https://doi.org/10.1080/10916460903117560
