SPE-198651-MS
Proposing a New Eco-Friendly Drilling Fluid Additive to Enhance the
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Filtration Properties of Water-Based Drilling Fluid Systems
Abo Taleb T. Al-Hameedi, Husam H. Alkinani, Shari Dunn-Norman, Mustafa A. Al-Alwani, Abdullah F. Alshammari,
Hussien W. Albazzaz, and Mohammed M. Alkhamis, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Mutar Rusul
A., Ministry of Communications and Technology, Iraq; Waleed H. Al-Bazzaz, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research
Copyright 2019, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Gas & Oil Technology Showcase and Conference held in Dubai, UAE, 21 - 23 October 2019.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to develop a new material used to control the seepage losses and combat
issues regarding thick mud cake. The plan is to develop a biodegradable waste material from Grass, which
is environmentally friendly to be utilized as an alternative material to address filtration problems. Raw
material from local Grass in the USA was used to construct the fibrous fluid loss control agent (Grass
Powder). The lab procedure consisted of crushing and grinding process to assemble the samples to be ready
for preparation. Spud mud samples were used as a guide to indicate filtration control. The material was
tested to generate results from the experiments conducted at surface conditions to determine the reduction
in the volume of filtrate and mud cake. Based on the experiments conducted, Grass Powder (GP) can be
applied to treat problems associated with the seepage loss in the drilling operations. The grass availability,
being eco-friendly, low cost, and the simple method of Grass Powder preparation by using grinding and
crushing can prove to be a suitable replacement for conventional materials used to control filtration.
Then, the results of Grass Powder were compared to starch, commonly used conventional additive. The
results showed that Grass Powder decreased the fluid loss by 44% at 1% (7 grams) concentration of GP,
and the filter cake was enhanced as well when comparing it to the reference fluid. While the starch material
showed an improvement in seepage loss by 40% at 1% (7 grams) concentration when comparing it to the
reference fluid. In addition, starch was less efficient in improving the filter cake as compared to Grass
Powder. Consequently, GP laboratory outcomes slightly showed better performance as compared to starch
additive, suggesting the feasibility of Grass Powder to be used as fluid loss control agents.
In brief, these experimental results exhibit that Grass Powder has the potential to be utilized as
biodegradable drilling fluid additives replacing chemical additives and reducing the amount of non-
biodegradable waste disposed to the environment.
Introduction
Drilling mud fulfills numerous duties in rotary drilling. It bears cuttings from under the rotary bit, transmits
them up to the annulus, and allows their separation at the surface while cooling the rotary bit at the same time.
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Drilling mud minimizes friction between the drill string and the sides of the wellbore. In addition, drilling
fluid carries out the following missions; plugs permeable zones, decrease mud filtrate infestation, preserves
stability of uncased sections of the borehole, reduces reservoir damage, and guarantee sufficient formation
assessment by shaping a fluffy, low permeability mud cake which blocks pores and other openings in the
zones perforated by the drill bit, and decreases the loss of drilling muds through the permeable formations
(Bourgoyne et al., 1986).
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Consequently, investigation the role that both fluid loss and formation of mud cake play a main part
in accomplishing the wanted jobs of drilling fluid in plugging the permeable formations and safeguarding
wellbore steadiness, and preventing critical drilling issues such as drag, sticking pipe, inexact well logging
analysis, and disrupting productive formations. Thus, private attention during both design and working
stages should be conducted to assure suitable planning and operation of drilling fluid in a secure and
economical path. Elevated range of seepage loss is the main trouble that is ordinarily faced in the drilling
process. Unacceptable rates of the filtrate are a universal problem that is impacting the oil and gas
industries in regards to non-productive time and cost. To solve this obstacle, many traditional chemical
materials are utilized such as Bentonite, Polyanionic Cellulose Low Viscosity (PAC LV), Polymers, Resinex,
Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC), Carboxymethyl Cellulose Sodium (CMC), and Starch (Basra Oil Company,
2009).
With the maximized global environmental consciousness of drilling muds across the oil and gas industry
because of the global popular practice of toxic chemical materials, it is crucial for the industry to adopt
feasible alternatives. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released rigorous rules in regard to
drilling mud materials and their waste. It is necessary for the oil and gas industry to alter their attitude to
decrease the impact of produced drilling waste, which is the second largest volume of waste (Haut et al.,
2007). Because of this, different studies have been addressed to minimize drilling waste involving waste
management programs constructed by Mobil (Robb and Beaty, 1996), Schlumberger (Lawrie and Forbes,
2006), and the rig waste reduction pilot project initiated by Shell Exploration and Production Company
(Satterlee et al., 2003). Additionally, authors initiated expanding unprecedented drilling mud systems that
are eco-friendly in comparison with non-environment friendly drilling muds such as lime mud, KCL mud,
polymer mud, and oil-based muds (Bland et al., 1995; Van Oort et al., 1996; Nicora and Burrafato, 1998;
Thaemlitz et al., 1999; Hector et al., 2002 Sharma and Mahto, 2006; Tehrari et al., 2009; Dosunmu and
Ogunrinde, 2010; Young and Friedheim, 2013; Li et al., 2016; Zhou and Nasr-El-Din, 2017).
Wastes may be used for several implementations in the drilling operations rather than throwing them
to the environment. For instance, food wastes that have the possibility to be utilized for other aims like
drilling and completion fluids materials to be used in the drilling process (Al-Hameedi et al., 2019a). Al-
Hameedi et al. (2019b) investigated laboratory study by utilizing food waste products such as Mandarin
Peels Powder (MPP) to control filtration properties and fluid rheological characteristics. Based on their
findings, the MPP improved fluid rheological specifications and reduced the filtrate volume, proposing
that MPP could be an effective drilling mud additive. Potato Peels Powder (PPP) is another lesson of food
waste additive conducted by Al-Hameedi et al. (2019c). Their results showed that the PPP had no impact
on drilling density, but it had effects on the rheological properties by increasing the plastic viscosity and
reducing the yield point and the gel strength. Additionally, the seepage loss was minimized as well; thus,
making it an effective drilling fluid additive.
Other researches were implemented concerning biodegradable waste additives as drilling fluid materials
to decrease drilling waste. Irawan et al. (2009) assessed the application of corncobs and sugar cane as
regulating viscosifiers. On the other hand, their outcomes exhibited that plastic viscosity maximized; while
gel strength and yield point reduced. Nmegbu et al. (2014) investigated the employment of cellulose from
corncobs on water-based drilling fluids. Their findings showed that the new filtration control agent was
effective in minimizing the seepage loss as compared to Polyanionic Cellulose (PAC). Omotioma et al.
(2014) conducted the impact of introducing cashew and mango leaves extract, that enhanced the fluid
SPE-198651-MS 3
rheological specifications. Okon et al. (2014) examined the potential of utilizing rice husk as an additive to
monitor filtration characteristics. Their outcomes conducted that the rice husk had the capability to decrease
seepage loss by 65% when 20 part per billion (ppb) concentration was ad ded and compared to CMC and
PAC, while the rice husk might introduce in an unwanted influence on the plastic viscosity.
In this work, an eco-friendly additive (Grass Powder) was examined to reflect the interaction with water-
based drilling fluid. The focal point from this work is to reinforce the seepage loss characteristics of the
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drilling mud utilizing a substitutional environmentally friendly material. The outcomes of introducing GP to
the reference fluid was paralleled with adding the same concentration of starch to understand the capability
of utilizing GP in the field. Furthermore, the aim is to provide feasible planning for minimizing the discharge
of the drilling mud and decreasing the magnitude of non-biodegradable waste disposed to the environment.
Experimental Procedure and Results
The reference fluid (RF) that has been utilized for this experimental study was Fresh Water Bentonite mud
(FWBM), and it was prepared using just Bentonite and NaOH as conventional chemical material. The
condensations of the reference fluid were 700 cc of water, 1 gram (1 kg/m3) of caustic soda, and 45 grams
(65 kg/m3) of Bentonite. Only 1% (7 grams) concentration of GP and starch additives were utilized and
introduced individually to the reference fluid, then filtration properties measurements were executed for
each concentration to accurately assess the effect of 1% (7 grams) concentration of GP and starch on filtrate
volume and mud cake thickness.
The filtration characteristics including; the filtrate loss at 7.5 and 30 minutes, as well as the mud cake
thickness, were measured using the standard API Filter Press at 100 psi. In this study, the findings that
were conducted from the lab measurements were reported in detail for the reference fluid and only for one
concentration of GP and starch materials, the ultimate objective is to determine the impact of GP and starch
additives on the reference fluid in terms of the seepage loss characteristics as shown in Table 1.
Table 1—The Outcomes of Experimental Study
Property RF 1% GP 1% Starch
7.5 min Filtrate (cc) 6 3.5 3.25
30 min Filtrate (cc) 12.5 7 7.5
Filter Cake Thickness (mm) 3 2 2.4
Discussion of the Laboratory Findings
First, the results of adding GP and starch will be discussed to understand the impact on the reference fluid in
terms of the filtration characteristics. Second, a comparative analysis will be presented between the GP and
starch additives regarding their effectiveness in optimizing the performance of water-based mud in terms
of the filtrate volume and mud cake thickness specifications. The ultimate target of the second part is to
diagnose which material has the biggest impact on the seepage loss character istics.
The results revealed that both GP and starch decreased the filtrate volume as compared to the reference
fluid (RF) as shown in Figure 1. Moreover, both additives presented a thin and impermeable filtrate cake
when comparing to the reference fluid as shown in Figure 2. Nonetheless, the best filtration control additive
was the GP material, which decreased the seepage loss by 44% compared to the reference fluid. On the other
hand, the starch material exhibited an improvement in the seepage loss by 40% compared to the reference
fluid. This means GP had somewhat better achievement when comparing it with the starch material.
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Figure 1—Impact of GP and Starch on the Filtrate Volume
Figure 2—Impact of GP and Starch on the Filter Cake
Regarding the filtrate cake thickness, the resulted mud cake thickness of utilizing GP material was within
a premium range and presented in a decrease of 34% compared to the reference fluid. However, starch
material reduced the mud cake by 20% when comparing it to the reference fluid. As a result, GP was more
efficacious than starch in terms of introducing a thin and impermeable filtrate cake as shown in Figure 2,
proposing its capability to be utilized as fluid loss control agents.
Conclusion
In summary, an eco-friendly filtration additive was invented from Grass. The material is non-toxic and
biodegradable fine fibrous. The Grass is highly obtainable anywhere and super-simple to gather and make
to be a substitutional eco-friendly material for the drilling fluid. Consequently, it is a good candidate for
SPE-198651-MS 5
further consideration. Additionally, the price for collecting and preparing Grass Powder is less expensive
when comparing it to traditional chemical materials.
The experiment that was executed included the employment of accumulating the material, dehydrating
it, slicing it into tiny segments, and then crushing it to turn into a dry fine powder. A fluid system
that incorporates the usage of fine fluid loss materials was constructed to combat the filtration faced
in lost circulation by using tests performed at low-pressure and low-temperature filtration operations. A
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commercial drilling fluid additive (starch) was implemented under analogous experimental lab situations.
The Grass Powder measurements yielded slightly preferable effectiveness than the conventional materials
(starch). In consequence, the Grass Powder has the efficiency to control volume loss that is repeatedly
encountered in drilling operations and presented a better thin and impermeable mud cake when comparing
it to the starch material.
It is substantial to strive the tendency of establishing environmentally friendly drilling fluid materi als
such as Grass Powder to contribute in reducing the impact on the environment, the safety of personnel as
well as the total price of drilling operations and drilling waste management.
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