Effect of Ferric Oxide and Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles on Iraqi Bentonite Performance in Water Based Drilling Fluid

Abstract

In oil and gas industry, the nanotechnology has been applied in different fields. Reservoir, exploration, drilling, completion, production, processing, and refinery are nanotechnology applications fields. Nanoparticles materials are one of the areas that are utilized in preparing drilling fluids. These nanomaterials are used to formulate high performance drilling fluids. In other words, these nano particles materials can be used to design smart drilling fluids. The properties of these drilling fluids can be met the well conditions requirements. The aim of this study is to enhance the performance of Iraqi bentonite in drilling fluids using nanomaterials. Iraqi calcium montmorillonite clay (Ca- bentonite) from Wadi Bashera in Iraqi Western Desert was obtained and studied in order to use it as an alternative active solid to the imported commercial bentonite. Water based drilling fluids were prepared with 3, 6, and 12 wt. % of Iraqi bentonite. Mgnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) and ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃ NPs) with different concentrations were used. The experimental work showed that, MgO NPs resulted in a significant increase in the rheological properties of drilling fluids prepared with 3 and 6 wt. % of Iraqi bentonite. In contrast,  moderate effect on the rheological properties of drilling fluid prepared with 12 wt. % of Iraqi bentonite were obtained with low concentrations of Fe₂O₃ NPs. Basically drilling fluids prepared with Iraqi bentonite had extreme filtrate volume compared with API specifications and poor controlling to filtration properties were obtained with MgO NPs and Fe₂O₃ NPs additions. The impact of these two nanomaterials was revealed on the stability of drilling fluids prepared with Iraqi bentonite, where an enhancemment from 65 % to 100% was observed.