Use of cellulose nanofibrils as replacement of xanthan gum in water based drilling fluids for Argentina shale

MARIA CELESTE IGLESIAS ; ELEONORA ERDMANN; NATALIA CASIS; DIANA ALEJANDRA ESTENOZ; YURANY ANDREA VILLADA VILLADA; MARÍA SOLEDAD PERESÍN

New Orleans

Simposio; 255th ACS National Meeting; 2018

American Chemical Society Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials

Drilling fluids play critical role in oil and gas drilling operations, such as cleaning and stabilizing of well, suspending and carrying out cuttings, reducing friction between formation and drilling tools, among others. Successful drilling operations are highly dependent on the selection of fluids with pre-specified properties, which are mainly determined by their rheological and filtration properties [1]. On the basis of the composition, fluids are classified in two groups: water-based muds (WBMs), and oil-based muds (OBMs). OBMs exhibit high performance but present some disadvantages related to the environmental impact, cost and negative effects on cementing. From an environmental point of view, the use of WBMs represents an attractive alternative. In recent years, different natural polymers, synthetic polymers and inorganic nanoparticles have been used as additives in WBMs to improve rheological and filtration properties. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in designing new formulations for WBMs using additives from renewable and biodegradables sources. In this sense, the use of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is a promising alternative. CNF is obtained from different resources, such as wood, plants, marine animals, algae and bacteria and processed by using only mechanical treatments or combining mechanical treatments with enzymatical or chemical pre-treatments.In this work the use of cellulose without lignin (CNF1) and cellulose with lignin (CNF2) as replacement of xantham gum (XGD) in WBMs for Argentina shale was studied. The effect of the CNFs composition on the rheological behavior and filtering properties was analyzed. The rheometric characterization of the fluids was complemented with the structural analysis and rheological model.A shear-thinning behavior with notable effect on the concentration of CNFs was observed. Also, mud rheological properties very close to the based mud were achieved for composition of PAC = 8.00 g/L and CNF = 3.00 g/L. Structural changes were assessed by SEM and a high particles agglomeration and a film formation due to the presence of CNF2 were observed. Additionally, results indicated that CNF1 exhibited more viscosifying characteristics in WBMs, and CNF2 improved filtration properties. The Sisko model was used to determine rheological parameters.