Potential of banana peels and sugarcane bagasse as lost circulation material additives in drilling mud application

Abstract

Loss circulation is the total or fractional loss of drilling fluid known as mud, that happens when the fluid flows into fractures of formations, hence hindering its recirculation in oil and gas well during drilling process. This phenomenon poses a serious threat during drilling activities, especially in ensuring the consistency of formations' structure and pressure of the well. To minimize this problem, fluid loss additive known as lost circulation material (LCM) is mixed into drilling mud to seal the formation in order to prevent further loss of drilling mud. The objectives of this paper are to conduct parametric study of banana peels and sugarcane bagasse as environmentally friendly LCM additive for drilling mud application and to investigate thermal stability of the formulated banana peels and sugarcane bagasse-based LCM. The performance of banana peel and sugarcane bagasse with different particle size were tested using Fann Viscometer and Low Pressure, Low Temperature (LPLT) filter press. The performance of the banana peels in rheological properties and filtration properties studies exhibited higher efficiency compared to the sugarcane bagasse and mud without LCM. The thermal stability test conducted on water-based mud with banana peels as LCM indicates that temperature significantly affects the stability and resistant rheology of the water-based mud.