Preparation of Ammonium Oleic Acid Salts and Their Evaluation as Shale Swelling Inhibitors in Water-Based Drilling Fluid

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, ammonium oleic acid salts (AOS) were prepared from oleic acid and amines and investigated as low molecular weight shale swelling inhibitors. First, the inhibitory effect of AOS was investigated using the linear expansion test of bentonite. The results show that the inhibitor prepared from oleic acid and tetraethylene pentamine with a molar ratio of 1:2 (AOS-8) has an excellent inhibitory effect on the hydration expansion of bentonite. The inhibitory effect of AOS-8 on bentonite was further investigated in subsequent work steps using various methods, including the linear swelling test of clay and particle distribution measurement. The results show that AOS-8 has superior performance in inhibiting hydration swelling and dispersion of bentonite. With 0.5% AOS-8, the swelling rate was reduced to 37.7%, and the particle size of bentonite in water could be controlled with AOS-8. Finally, the inhibition mechanism of AOS-8 was determined in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In water-based drilling fluid, AOS-8 is compatible with conventional additives. It can also significantly improve the lubricating capacity of the mud cake after ageing at 120°C.