On the potential of alyssum as an herbal fiber to improve the filtration and rheological characteristics of water-based drilling muds

Abstract

Drilling muds play an important role in drilling and production operations so that the degree of success in such operations is determined by the proper design of these fluids. To optimize drilling operations and avoid excessive expenditure, it is essential to prepare a drilling mud that is both cheap and efficient. Fluid additives are typically used in drilling systems to improve these fluids' capabilities in terms of hole cleaning capacity, filtration control, viscosity, yield point, heat transfer, etc. However, environmental concerns, cost of production, and availability are always considered challenging factors. This study introduces an eco-friendly herbal fiber in powder and regular forms as a potential alternative to other chemical additives. To do so, alyssum homolocarpum seed mucilage was added with different concentrations to the water-based drilling muds, and its rheological behavior, filtration control, and the induced formation damage were examined and the optimum concentration was introduced. The results of this study revealed the advantages of the drilling muds formulated with alyssum in terms of filtration control, rheology, formation damage, and greenness.

Keywords

Drilling fluid / alyssum / Herbal fiber / Rheology / Filtration control

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