An ecological water-based drilling mud (WBM) with low cost: substitution of polymers by wood wastes

Abstract

An ecologically friendly water-based drilling mud (WBM) was designed by using wood wastes (WP: wood powder) in order to substitute the organic polymers which are very expensive and often make the higher cost of the oil well drilling. This present work is dedicated on studying the rheological behavior and main rheological properties of WBM containing the wood powder at different contents and sizes by substitution of usually used polymers. The effect of wood powder on the drilling fluid filtrate was also analyzed. The drilling fluid that was developed has better rheological properties and fluid loss control which are required for a good functioning of oil well drilling. By a total substitution of polymers, the wood powder (300 µm at 850 kg/m 3 ) can be used as a filtrate reducer of mud because the WBM filtrate obtained exhibits a minimum and having requested values for such formation.