Effect of Nanoparticles in Drilling Fluids on the Transportation of Different Cutting Sizes in a Rotating Horizontal Pipe

: Cutting transport is difficult in horizontal borehole regions due to the limited axial velocity distribution. This causes transported cuttings to gravitate to the bottom, generating cutting beds and leading to drilling mishaps. Water-based mud (WBM) that includes nanoparticles (NPs) to determine the cutting transport ratio (CTR) performance using copper II oxide (CuO), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), and silicon dioxide (SiO2) in a horizontal borehole needs further investigation. These NPs ability to transport 0.80–3.60 mm cutting sizes was tested using concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 g circulated through a horizontal annulus at 3.5 m/s and 120 rpm. With 2.0 g, MgO lowered the viscosity by 60%, whereas SiO2, CuO, and Al2O3 increased it by 49%, 10%, and 87%, respectively. CuO NP decreased the fluid loss (FLAPI) the best, followed by MgO, SiO2, and Al2O3. The FLAPI of the WBM, which was 9.4 mL, dropped to 4.8, 5.1, 7.4, and 8.2 mL with CuO, MgO, SiO2, and Al2O3 NPs, respectively. The CTR performance of the NPs increased with concentration and decreased with increasing cutting size. CuO, having less viscosity than Al2O3 and SiO2, carried the most cutting at all concentrations and sizes. It increased the CTR by 28.8–31.1%, whereas Al2O3 and SiO2 increased it by 22.7–26.7% and 16.7–22.2%, respectively. The lowest increase was 13.6–17.8% for MgO NP. This study demonstrates the favourable impact of NP concentrations on the performance of drilling fluids while presenting many choices for the selection of NPs

Amphipathic anionic surfactant modified hydrophilic polyethylene glycol-nanosilica composite as effective viscosifier and filtration control agent for water-based drilling muds

Highly stabilized and dispersible composites of polyethylene glycol and silica nanoparticle in aqueous drilling mud can provide desirable rheological and filtration properties for drilling jobs. Therefore, high-quality hydrophilic polyethylene glycol-nanosilica composite modified by amphipathic anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (PEG-SiO2 NC-SDS) to improve the rheological and filtration properties of water-based muds (WBMs) was submitted. Test of zeta potential, functional groups, morphology, elemental composition, and temperature stability together with rheology and filtration tests were undertaken to assess the wide-ranging mud properties of the SDS modified PEG-SiO2 NC drilling muds. Zeta potential, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, and TGA results indicate that the SDS modified PEG-SiO2 NC was effectively formed and modified, it embodies exceptional thermal stability and is efficiently dispersed. The SDS modified PEG-SiO2 NC has a narrow size distribution range between 82 nm and 410 nm, and a specific surface area of 41.4 m2/g that is sufficiently high for particle-molecule interactions. Its rheological variables are notably shear-thinning and did not undergo notable fluctuation. The filtrate loss of 1.5 g SDS bearing PEG-SiO2 NC at 78 °F and 250 °F was only 5.4 ml and 9.6 ml, against 10.2 ml and 20.5 ml of the WBMs, respectively. High dispersion stability and high thermal stability aided its excellent viscosity and filtration control performance. Moreover, optimum rheological properties for the SDS modified PEG-SiO2 NC drilling muds with Bingham plastic and Ostwald-de-Waele models occurred with mud composition CD3 (CD3 = 1.5 g SDS modified PEG-SiO2 NC + WBM). Thus, this study can help to understand the applications of this nanocomposite as a potential viscosifier and filtrate loss control material for WBMs