• MACHINES

    Improving wellbore stability by applying drilling mud with Fe2O3 nanoparticles

    Machines. Technologies. Materials., Vol. 17 (2023), Issue 1, pg(s) 14-17

    Since 90% of all problems related to the wellbore instability occur during drilling through shales, which are mostly consisted of clay minerals, the filtrate from drilling mud penetrate into shale rocks and lead to their destabilization, so the industry is considering the possible application of new types of additives because conventional additives, due to their size, cannot enter in pores of shales, plug them and reduce further filtrate penetration. The oil industry in last few years turns to investigate possible application of nanoparticles because they can enter in small shale pores and plug them, thus increasing the wellbore stability. In this paper the influence of the size (50 nm and between 20 and 30 nm) and concentration (0.5, 1, 3 and 5 wt%) of Fe2O3 nanoparticles on density, rheology, API filtration, and swelling of laboratory prepared pellets in contact with mud without and with nanoparticles was determined. Due to the fact that the rheological properties are significantly increased at higher concentrations, and that smaller particles give better results with an emphasis on increasing the wellbore stability further tests should be carried out with nanoparticles Fe2O3 which size is between 20 and 30 nm in maximum concentration of 1 wt%.

  • INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

    Drilling mud properties with added egg shell

    Innovations, Vol. 11 (2023), Issue 1, pg(s) 26-29

    The use of biodegradable waste is interesting for many companies from different industries, and in the last few years, more detailed research about its usefulness in the oil and gas industry, specifically as potential additives for the preparation of water-based drilling mud, has begun. Given that this type of research is globally important, there are data on the use of different types of food waste for this purpose, and scientists have mainly researched the biodegradable waste that is generated in larger quantities in a certain part of the world. Among the different types of waste whose effect has been investigated through laboratory measurements of various properties essential for drilling mud, there is also some data on egg shell. In this article, detalied set of data shows how egg shell affects the filtration properties of the drilling mud, the rheological properties, as well as the swelling reduction of the clay component of the rock when it is in contact with drilling mud with added egg shell in its composition.