Application of manganese oxide nanoparticles synthesized via green route for improved performance of water-based drilling fluids

Abstract

A significant parameter in the drilling of a petroleum wellbore is to design a drilling fluid with good control on its rheology and fluid loss characteristics. The present study aims at designing a drilling mud with improved properties in terms of rheology and filtration loss. Effect of laboratory synthesized α-MnO2 nanoparticles (MNPs) on the properties of drilling fluid is evaluated by comparing the properties of base fluid with that of nano-enhanced fluids. First, a base mud comprising of polyanionic cellulose (PAC), xanthan gum (XG) and bentonite was prepared and analysed for its properties, such as rheology and filtration characteristics, and heat tolerance. The properties of base mud were then compared with those of nanoparticles containing muds, prepared by adding different concentrations of MNPs into the base mud. The drilling fluid formulations were also subjected to high temperature rolling condition at 100 °C and 30 rpm for 16 h with the objective of replicating the wellbore environment with the help of roller oven. It was observed that the incorporation of nanoparticles into base fluid diminishes the tendency of thermal degradation of drilling fluid properties. Presence of nanoparticles even at low concentration significantly improved rheological parameters of mud and reduced filtration loss. Therefore, it can be concluded that the incorporation of α-MnO2 nanoparticles synthesized via green route into the base mud along with the conventional additives (added to reduce the fluid loss) enhances the mud performance. It improves the efficiency of additives by imparting thermal stability to the rheological and filtration properties of mud systems along with minimizing the filtration loss.