Evaluating the Effect of the Local Organic Fly Ash on the Properties of Water-Based Drilling Fluid

Abstract

Recently the petroleum industry has been turning to the use of environmentally friendly additives particularly in oil well drilling operations. Switching to bio-based green biodegradable additives reduces pollution caused by dumping of wetted cuttings containing residual drilling fluid. The daily production of animal-origin biomass waste in farms poses serious health risks to both humans and animals if they are accumulated untreated. In this study, we used cow manure as a source of organic fly ash via burning it at temperatures below 370‒400°C to provide a manure conversion into powder and added it to a water-based drilling fluid. The results of the study showed that the biomass of the animal origin could successfully serve as a drilling fluid additive. For example, the rheological properties of the drilling fluid were improved via the provision of a sufficient YP/PV ratio and enhanced gelation properties. In addition, increasing fly ash concentration provided a subtle impact on mud density. XRD and EDS tests classified organic fly ash as a low-calcium/Class F, and the mud pH increased as the fly ash concentration increased. A FE-SEM imaging demonstrated that the fly ash morphology was amorphous with nano-sized particles dispersed among micro-sized particles. However, it is recommended to maintain the additive concentration below 0.55 wt %. Therefore, the use of the organic fly ash powder as an environmentally friendly additive is a good practice in oil well drilling operations.