Espina Corona Gum (ECG) as a polymeric additive for applications in water-based drilling fluids (WBMs)

VILLADA, YURANY; MARÍA EUGENIA TAVERNA; SEBASTIÁN GILETTA; CASIS, N.; ESTENOZ, D.

Congreso; 4° Congreso Latinoamericano de Terminación y Producción; 2021

In this work, the replacement of guar gum (GG) by espina corona gum (ECG) as a viscosifier used in water-based drilling fluids (WBMs) was studied. ECG is a polysaccharide, extracted by mechanical treatment from the seeds of Gleditsia amorphoides, a leguminous tree native to Latin America, that grows in the the north of Argentina, particularly in Chaco, Formosa, Corrientes, Misiones, Entre Ríos, north of Santa Fe, Salta and Jujuy. The chemical structure of this galactomannan is a linear chain of (1 → 4) α-D-trimanose (71.4%) linkage to (1 → 6) α-D-galactose (28.6%). GG and ECG were characterized using intrinsic viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), spectroscopic techniques, and Z potential, respectively. Subsequently, the effect of GG and ECG on the main functional properties of WBMs was evaluated including: i) rheological behavior through steady shear assays; ii) filtration tests following API standards; iii) thermal stability through dynamic aging tests; and iv) structural changes using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two systems S-GG and S-ECG were prepared containing different concentrations of bentonite (BT), ECG or GG, polyanionic cellulose (PAC), and H2O. The performance of the fluids corresponding to the S-GG and S-ECG systems were compared.ECG promises to be a renewable, non-toxic, and potentially low-cost alternative for the partial or total replacement of synthetic polymers or conventional biopolymers in WBMs. ECG can be used as an additive in WBMs, improving the performance of WBMs in terms of their rheological, filter control, thermal and structural properties. It is expected that ECG can also be applied in WBMs for other types of shale formations and in other fluids applied in the extraction of hydrocarbons.