Ilminite and silicon nanoparticles water based mud to enhancing rheological properties and reducing fluid loss problems

Abstract

Many oil and gas are using barite (BaSO4) to increase the density of drilling to play important roles in drilling operations to suspend cuttings, counter high formation pressure and to ensure wellbore stability. However, this study described the evaluation of an iron-based material, ilmenite (FeTiO3), as an alternative to replace barite in water-based mud. The experiment was carried out at LPLT, HPHT conditions with a varying nano-silica concentration of 0.3wt% and 0.5wt%. At different mud weights, the formulated drilling fluid will be tested for LPLT, HPHT filtrate loss. Nano-silica has been proven in this project to be only effective for fluid loss and improve mud rheology due to the nature of nano-silica as a plugging agent. By adding 0.3 wt%, 0.5wt% silica for ilmenite; the 10-s gel strength, 10-min gel strength and the yield point increased by 23%, 53%, 6% 50%and 77.7% respectively, as compared with the base mud. Whereas, the plastic viscosity and the filtrate volume decreased by 5% and 13% respectively at ambient conditions. The mud cake thickness decreased by 12.6%, 25% and the pH increased by increasing the concertation of silicas. After hot rolling, the 10-s gel strength, 10-min gel strength and the yield point increased by 8.3%, 16.6%, 11%, 22% and 25%,87.8% respectively, whereas, the filtrate volume 0.3wt%, 0.5wt% by 36% 36.6%. the mud cake thickness decreased by 12.6% 25%, pH increased from the findings, it was proven that the combination of ilmenite and silica can enhance the drilling mud rheological properties, reduce fluid loss while maintaining the mud cake thickness, therefore has a great potential as drilling fluid additive.