Improving Lifting Capacity and Modelling Hydraulics of Local Based Muds Flowing through Vertical Pipes

Abstract

Drilling mud plays an integral part in drilling operations to perform several functions some of which are to cool drill bits, provide hydrostatic pressure and give information about subsurface formation. The cutting suspension and lifting ability of the mud remains one of the most important functions amongst others. Conventional based muds are made of Wyoming bentonite dispersed in water or oil as continuous phase in the presence of synthetic additives to enhance it’s property. Previous research showed that Local based muds suffers poor lifting capacity and high pressure loss. This research work focuses on improving the properties of local based muds with biopolymers and Nanoparticles(Multiwall Carbon nanoparticles and Bamboo raw and Modified) to meet API standards and serve as a substitute to the expensive and environmentally unfriendly synthetic muds and modelling the pressure losses in vertical pipes to observe the effect of nanoparticle addition on pressure loss. Modified Gombe Clay was enhanced with a composite of Gum arabic and Cassava starch, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Chloride and weighted with barite to create a base mud formulation. 0.1g, 0.2g, 0.5g and 0.8g MWCNT and BRM were added to create new formulations and rheological readings were taken at room temperature, 60oC and 94oC. Results showed that at room temperature all CNTs formulation had little or no improvement in gel strengths in comparison with base mud formulation and 0.1g MWCNT formulation amongst other MWCNT and BRM formulations had most favourable gel strength values at 94oC in comparison to base formulation to meet API requirement. Pressure losses of mud flowing in vertical pipes was reduced by 22% and 43% at room temperature and 94oC by the addition of 0.1g MWCNT.