Rheological characterization of potassium carbonate deep eutectic solvent (DES) based drilling mud

Muhammad Hammad Rasool,Imtiaz Ali,Muhammad Adeem Abbas,Muhammad Ayoub,Maqsood Ahmad,Asif Zamir,Khaled A Elraies

doi:10.1007/s13202-021-01328-6

Muhammad Hammad Rasool, Imtiaz Ali + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-021-01328-6

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Abstract

Different additives are added in the drilling mud to increase its efficiency in terms of its rheology and filtration properties. Recently, the application of ionic liquids (ILs) has been exploited by various investigators as a drilling additive for improving the mud rheology. The more recent studies have shown that imidazolium-based ionic liquids (the most used class of ionic liquids in drilling fluids) are toxic. Moreover, the advancement in green chemistry has put a big question mark on the greener nature of ionic liquids because they are non-biodegradable and generally very expensive. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are the non-toxic and cheaper alternative of ionic liquids possessing the same qualities as of ILs. In our previous work, we used potassium carbonate and glycerol-based DES as a drilling fluid additive. We found that DES has successfully improved the mud rheology and filtration properties of the mud. In this current study, various characterizations have been conducted to understand the underlying mechanism behind DES as a rheology modifier. The characterization shows the improvement in rheology is due to the intercalation of DES between alumino-silicate layers and interaction of DES with clay which alters edge to face orientation of sodium bentonite and ultimately its dispersion behaviour. The addition of DES decreases average grain size and disperses the clay particles in mud slurry which reduce the overall permeability and porosity of the filter cake thus improving the filtration behaviour of the mud. Moreover, the behaviour of DES based mud is modelled at 25 °C and 100 °C which shows DES-based mud follows Herschel–Buckley model and exhibits shear thinning behaviour even at elevated temperature.

Highlights

Drilling fluid design plays the most significant role in the whole drilling process
Research has shown the addition of ionic liquids affects the clay structure which in turn alters its wettability which results into the modification of the mud rheology and its filtration behaviour (Ahmad, et al 2019; Ahmed Khan et al 2020)
Potassium carbonate-based Deep eutectic solvents (DES) is successful in improving rheology as well as the filtration behaviour of the mud

Summary

Introduction

Drilling fluid design plays the most significant role in the whole drilling process. Drilling fluid behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid, and it demonstrates shear thinning behaviour (Rasool et al 2021a). Apart from having necessary yield point and gel strength, the high viscosity is required when cuttings are transported to the surface, and low viscosity is needed when mud is passing through the drill string (Ofei et al 2017). Different kinds of additives are added in the drilling mud to enhance the rheological properties of the drilling mud (Rasool et al 2021b). Ionic liquids are used as drilling fluid additives to enhance the rheological and improve the filtration properties of the drilling mud. Research has shown the addition of ionic liquids affects the clay structure which in turn alters its wettability which results into the modification of the mud rheology and its filtration behaviour (Ahmad, et al 2019; Ahmed Khan et al 2020)

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