Nanoparticles have played a major role in the petroleum industry. this Presentation highlights their role in the drilling fluid used in the well during Production. Various research papers are used as referenced.
2. INTRODUCTION
• Drilling Fluid also known as drilling mud, is a mixture of clay and other chemicals with oil or
water that is circulated around the drill bit in oil-well drilling and is used to aid the drilling of
boreholes into the earth.
• Some functions of drilling fluid are:-
1. Bottomhole cleaning
2. Cutting transport
3. Borehole wall support
4. Balancing formation pressure
5. Cooling the bit
6. Hydraulic power transmission
7. Reducing friction
8. Corrosion protection
9. Data transmission (MWD)
3. NANOPARTICLES IN DRILLING FLUID
• Nanoparticles are ultrafine substances, colloid or solid particles having a size range of 1
to 100 nano-meters, hence called nanoparticles.
• Recent developments in Nanotechnology, some researchers most widely have used and
evaluated nanoparticles in the oil and gas industry.
• The investigations result and analysis show that NPs can be used as suitable additives to
improve drilling fluid properties.
• NPs with unique properties such as high thermal conductivity and wide surface area can be
solved drilling fluid challenges.
4. Author Nanoparticle type NP size (nm) Optimization Optimal
concentration of NP
(wt%)
Drilling fluid type
Jung et al. Fe2O3 3 and 30 Rheology and fluid loss
control
0.5 wt% WBM-5% wt.
bentonite
Barry et al. 3 and 30 Controlled viscosity at
HTHP
0. 5wt% WB 5% wt. bentonite
Contreras et al. 3 and 30 Fluid loss control 0.5 and 2.0 wt% OBM- Oil/Water Ratio
(90/10)
Barry et al. Fe2O3 - Clay Hybrid 3 and 30 Increased rheological
properties
0.5 wt% WBM-5% wt.
bentonite
Wang et al. Fe3O4 10-20 Increased rheological
and filtration
properties, improved
thermal properties
0.05-0.5 wt% WBM-4% wt.
bentonite
Mahmoud et al SiO2 50 Rheology stability 0.5wt % WBM-7% wt.
bentonite
Ismail et al 12 The lubricity of water-
based drilling fluid
0.5 wt% WBM-bentonite
Kang et al. 10-20 Rheology and fluid loss
control
5-10 wt% WBM and OBM-3%
wt. bentonite
Sadeghalvaad and
Sabbaghi
TiO2 10-15 Increased rheological
and filtration properties
0.5 -10 wt % WBM-bentonite
Sabbaghi et al 20 Improved thermal
properties
0.1-0.3 wt % WBM-bentonite
5. Author Nanoparticl
e type
NP size (nm) Optimization Optimal concentration of
NP (wt%)
Drilling fluid type
Agarwal et al. Clay 10-20 Controlled viscosity at
HPHT
__ WBM-bentonite
Cheraghian Improved rheological and
filtration properties
__
Anawe et al., Y2O3 20-30 Increased rheological and
filtration properties
0.5-3 wt% WBM-bentonite
Ponmani et al. CuO and
ZnO
50 Reduced mud-cake
thickness
0.1-0.5 wt% WBM-bentonite
Gudarzifar et al. Graphene 2.71 Rheology and fluid loss
control and improved
lubricity
0.2 wt% OBM
Ho et al Carbon <200 Improved thermal
conductivity
0-1 wt% WBM
Amarfio and
Abdulkadir
Al2O3 20-40 Improve thermal and
rheological properties
0-1.5 gm OBM- Oil/Water Ratio
(90/10)
Li et al. Silver 5 Improve thermal properties __ OBM
Ismail et al. MWCNT 30 Controlled viscosity at
HTHP
0.001-0.1 ppb WBM bentonite
Samsuri and
Hamzah
8-40 Increased viscosity and fluid
loss control
0.001-0.01 wt % WBM- 14 g bentonite
6. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
1. Rheology and fluid loss stability
• Rheological properties such as viscosity, yield stress and gel strength were increased
• Reduced fluid loss
• Increased efficiency of cutting transportation
2. Thermal stability
• Resistant to high temperature
• Act as thermal stabilizer in formulation of drilling fluid
3. Wellbore stability
• Improve wellbore stability in unstable formation
• NPs additives increase stability of shale surfaces while prevent shale fractures and block
pore spaces in shale
7. Author Type of nanoparticles Fluid loss volume (mL) Initial Gel strength (Pa) 10 min Gel strength (Pa)
Dejtaradon et al CuO 12 16 35
Jain et al. MWCNT 9 4.5 7
Gbadamosi et al. Silica 5.1 7 8
Perween et al. BiFeO3 7.8 13 20
Cheraghian et al. Silica 10 13 32
Smith et al. Al2O3 6 11 40
Jain et al. Silica 7.2 3.5 6.5
Aftab et al. ZnO 4.7 6 9
Dejtaradon et al. ZnO 14 15 27
Anawe et al. Yittrium Oxide __ 15 16
Ghasemi et al. Al2CO3 __ 15 39
LITERATURE REVIEW
8. ECONOMIC BENEFITS, ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT AND CHALLENGES
• Low price- hence decreases cost of expensive materials in drilling fluid (except synthesized
NPs)
• Unique feature- Huge surface area to mass ratio
• Effective in the case of challenging formations- leads to enhanced oil recovery
• Save massive cost by reducing Non Productive Time
• Being nano-sized, its difficult to catch nanoparticles with filters - causes environmental
pollution
• NPs can be absorbed by the plants by their roots causing disturbances in their molecular
structure
• NPs can also be absorbed by the aquatic and unicellular organisms causing toxicity
• High temperature, chemical alteration and salinity in formation can destroy NPs structure
9. CONCLUSION
• NPs has improved the heat tolerance, filtration characteristics, and rheological properties
susceptibility of drilling fluids.
• The comprehensive mechanical properties of drilling fluids, compressive strength,
rheological properties, thermal properties, and filter loss, were all improved by including
NPs.
• Drilling fluids based on NPs could be possible solution of drilling under difficult
conditions such as water sensitive shale and HPHT. Drilling fluids based on NPs could
obviate the problems of wellbore instability, high filtrate volume, pipe sticking and shale
swelling.
10. REFERNCES
1. Cheraghian G. Effects of nanoparticles on wettability: a review on applications of nanotechnology in the
enhanced oil recovery. Int J Nano Dimens 2015;6(5):443e52.
2. Jung Y, Barry M, Lee J-K, Tran P, Soong Y, Martello D, et al. Effect of nanoparticle-additives on the
rheological properties of clay-based fluids at high temperature and high pressure. In: Proceedings of the
AADE national technical conference and exhibition, Houston, TX, USA, 12e14 April; 2011.
3. Cheraghian g. Nanoparticles in drilling fluid: A review of the state-of-the-art. Journal of material art and
technology. 2021; 13: 737-753
4. Zhang H, Zhong Y, She J, Kuang J. Experimental study of nano-drilling fluid based on nano temporary
plugging technology and its application mechanism in shale drilling. Appl Nanosci 2019:1e12.
5. Cheraghian G. Nanokomposit stabilisiert Bohrflu¨ ssigkeiten. Keram Z 2019;71(1e2). 25-25.
6. Shah SN, Shanker NH, Ogugbue CC. Future challenges of drilling fluids and their rheological
measurements. In: AADE fluids conference and exhibition, Houston, Texas; 2010.
7. Cheraghian G, Hemmati M, Bazgir S. Application of and fumed silica nanoparticles and improve the
performance of drilling fluids. 2014.
