The formulation of drilling fluid is one of the most important aspects in drilling engineering. This is because the drilling fluid is capable of lubricating and cooling the drill bit and drill string as well as carrying cuttings out of the borehole. All of these functions require appropriate viscosity of drilling fluid to facilitate pumping, circulate the cuttings, and transfer them to the surface.

1. Chemically Modification of Lignin Biopolymer andChemically Modification of Lignin Biopolymer and
its Industrially Application as a Hydrocarbonits Industrially Application as a Hydrocarbon
Drilling Well AdditiveDrilling Well Additive
Mohamed-Rashid Ahmed Mohamed Haras
Associate Professor. Dr. Mohamad Nasir Mohamad Ibrahim
Associate Professor. Dr. Coswald Stephen Sipaut @ Mohd Nasri

2.  In the course of drilling an oil or gas
well by means of rotary drilling
tools, a so called ( Drilling mud ) is
circulated downwardly through the
hollow drill stem and bit to the
bottom of borehole and then
upwardly to the surface through the
annular space between the drill stem
and the interior of the borehole.
 The most common mud used in the
drilling process is Bentonite due to;
its mixed friendly with water and
allow mud additives to perform
efficiently. Beyond that, it is cheap.

3. During the drilling process, drilling
mud is applied to the borehole
through the drill pipe and back to the
surface in order to achieve specific
functional :
 Cool and lubricate the bit and drill
string.
 Clean the bottom of the hole
beneath the bit
 Transport cuttings to the surface.
 Suspend drill cuttings in the annulus
when circulation is stopped.
 Drop off the cuttings at the surface.
 Support the walls of the borehole.
 Control subsurface pressure.
 Stabilize the borehole.

5. The main chemical
functional groups in
Kraft lignin are the
hydroxyl, methoxyl,
carbonyl groups (El
Mansouri & Salvadó,
2007).
Such functional
groups could open
newer possibilities
to expand the
chemically
modification process
of lignin. This will
enhance its
applicability in many
industrial aspects.

6. Preparation of Lignin Graft
Copolymer
Preparation of Lignin Graft
Copolymer

7. The water-basedThe water-based
drilling muds withdrilling muds with
viscosity-buildingviscosity-building
and suspension-and suspension-
carrying abilitiescarrying abilities
for oilfieldfor oilfield
applications requireapplications require
thermally stablethermally stable
water-solublewater-soluble
polymers to controlpolymers to control
the rheologicalthe rheological
property of drillingproperty of drilling
mudsmuds

8. DSC thermogram for the Lignin
No melting
temperature Tm
or
crystallization
temperature Tc
has been
recorded

9. DSC thermogram for Lignin Graft Copolymer
High Tg vlue:
The bulkiness and the
reticulation of the phenolic
groups in the lignin
structure.
Low Tg value:
Hydrocarbon chain without bulky
groups that gives PAA molecules
enough space to move with more
flexibility.

10. KL has a rough
surface with
shapeless configure
and the granular
structure can be
observed (Bonini,
D'Auria, Ferri,
Pucciariello &
Sabia, 2003).

11. Continues
wavy
surface
Pores that
could
facilitate
the
penetration
and enhance
the
solubility

13. - Two values of temperatures were chosen in order
to confirm whether the performance of LGC is
consistent both at room and high temperature.
- The results obtained are used to highlights the
importance of using the correct dosage of
treatment for optimization performance of
gelling agent and viscosifier as well as to save
unnecessary cost.
- Table 1 shown the optimum dosage of LGC is
0.5 % which gave moderate viscosity, gel
strength and yield point as well as sufficient pH
value compared to others at both temperatures.
- In addition, the use of excessive or insufficient
dosage may also bring out negative impact to
the mud properties.

14. Types of Mud T AV PV YP GS pH
Brae-Based Mud 27 28 12 16.35 23 11.91
Base Mud + 0.3% LGC 27 32.50 11 21.97 75 10.49
Base Mud + 0.5% LGC 27 40.00 14 26.57 73 9.63
Base Mud + 0.7% LGC 27 45.00 15 30.66 67 7.45
Bare-Based Mud 90 30.50 15 15.84 31 11.82
Base Mud + 0.3% LGC 90 41.50 11 31.71 95 10.15
Base Mud + 0.5% LGC 90 40.50 11 30.14 76 9.20
Base Mud + 0.7% LGC 90 43.00 11 32.70 60 7.22

15.  As a drilling mud takes place downwardly
the drilling mud temperature tends to
increase rapidly due to friction and this
increase influences the mud rheological
properties negatively.
 The negative effect includes sever decrease
of drilling mud viscosity and yield point
and that makes most of drilling mud
additives not functional at high
temperature.
 In this regard, a polymeric drilling mud
additive with a higher yield point exhibits
higher gel strength, which imparts a
desirable structural property to the drilling
mud (Gray & Darley, 1980).

16. Types of mud
AV PV YP
Before After Before After Before After
Base mud + 0.5% LGC 38 58.5 13 37 25.55 21.97
Base mud + 0.5 % CMC 97.5 25 19 18 61.8 7.154
Base mud + 0.5 % Guar Gum 105 23.5 35 18 71.5 5.621
Base mud + 0.5 % Xanthane 82.5 21 64 16 28.10 5.11

17.  There are times when circulation has to
be stopped, the drilling mud must have
that gelling characteristics ( gel strength)
that will prevent drill cuttings from
settling down at the bit.
 With proper thermally stable gel strength
can help suspend cuttings in the hole and
allow them to settle out on the surface.
 A mud pH range between 9 and 10.5 is
almost always desired in drilling
operations. This range suppresses the
corrosion rate of drilling equipment
especially drill pipe and bit.

18. Types of mud
GS pH
Before After Before After
Base mud + 0.5% LGC 73 74 9.65 9.25
Base mud + 0.5 % CMC 96 14 11.62 9.30
Base mud + 0.5 % Guar Gum 79 7 11.53 8.73
Base mud + 0.5 % Xanthane 67 4 11.62 8.64

19.  LGC has been successfully synthesized by exploiting the
waste of palm oil industry in the polymeric field.
 From an experimental point of view, the use of 0.5 % LGC as
drilling mud additives is not required any additional additives
like thermal stabilizer (alkyl metal chromate and starch) or pH
controlling agent ( soda ash and acetic acid), thereby it may
reduced the cost of drilling operation and minimize the
environmental damage.
 LGC exhibited good compatibility with commercial drilling
mud additives in terms of ; viscosity building, gelling abilities,
pH controlling and thermal degradation resistance.

20. thank YOU
FOR YOUR
kInD
attentIOn