Performance Evaluation Of Locally Sourced Additives For Water Based Drilling Fluid Formulation

Abstract

In pursuit of providing an indigenous substitute for foreign bentonite as a drilling fluid in oil and gas industry in Nigeria, local clay was obtained from Buan-khana, Rivers State, Nigeria. Also used were two local viscosifiers, Daterium microcarpum and Brachystegia eurycona flour. Water-based mud was formulated from the clay and its properties determined and compared with those of a standard choice mud produced from imported materials. The result showed large difference in the formulated drilling fluids rheological properties and the pH values. Addition of the local viscosifiers; Daterium microcarpum  and Brachystegia eurycona respectively at a concentration of 7.5g to 350ml of the local mud yield a noticeable improvement in the rheological properties of the formulated mud. When beneficiated with 1.0g of soda ash (Na₂CO₃), the mud pH value increased by 38% from an initial value of 5.60 to 9.0 while the rheological properties increased by over 220%. This implies that, at considerable concentration, the Buan clay showed good rheological properties that would compare favorably well with those of imported clay with either Daterium microcarpum or Brachystegia eurycona and soda ash (Na₂CO₃). Meaning a possible drilling fluid could be produced from Buan-Khana clay and Daterium micropum or Brachystegian eurycona.