Development and Characterization of an Oil-Soluble Viscosifier for an Oil-Based Drilling Fluid Preparation with Sugarcane Bagasse

Abstract

Drilling fluids are essential in drilling operations, transporting cuttings to the
surface, and providing requirements to prevent catastrophic events during drilling
operations. This work is aimed at developing a suitable viscosifier, from and agrowaste
product (sugarcane bagasse), which contains a considerable amount of wax,
which is soluble in the oil phase of the OBM, thereby improving the rheological
properties of the entire mud. This was achieved by Solvent Extraction of processed
sugarcane bagasse, using carbon tetrachloride as a solvent, Isopropyl alcohol and
activated carbon for the treatment of obtained wax. The activated carbon was also
produced from 50% of the air-dried bagasse, and wax was extracted from (60g,
75g, 80g, and 85g) of powdered bagasse sample, having a yield of an average of
11.3% (wt. /wt.) basis. Obtained wax was characterized by Fourier Transform
Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), indicating the presence of alkanes, ketones,
alcohols, aldehydes and carboxylic acids respectively. Oil-based mud having a mud
weight of 10.00ppg was prepared, using Diesel oil as base oil with an oil/water ratio
of 70/20. It was tested with varying concentrations of the developed sugarcane wax
viscosifier (0%, 0.46%, 0.91%, 1.35%, 1.80% and 2.24%), to observe trends in
rheological properties such as Apparent Viscosity, Plastic Viscosity, Yield Point,
Gel Strengths and Marsh Funnel Viscosity, which revealed a positive increasing
trend of rheological properties with an increase in concentration of the viscosifier;
carried out at room temperature. OBM Electrical Stabilities were also obtained
and revealed a decreasing trend with an increase in viscosifier concentration.
Therefore, Sugarcane waxes can serve as substitutes for Viscosifiers in OBMs.