SiO2 nanoparticle and KCl salt effects on filtration and thixotropical behavior of polymeric water based drilling fluid: With zeta potential and size analysis

Abstract

Maturity of conventional and shallow reserves and demand of energy force the drilling industry to drill deeper and more complicated wells. The nanoparticles initiated revolution in different aspects of science and engineering. Utilizing these particles can lead to a more efficient drilling in deep and troublesome environments. In this study the polymeric water based drilling fluid was set as base fluid. Effects of SiO2 nanoparticles and KCl salt on different aspects of polymeric water based drilling fluid filtration and thixotropical behavior in different concentrations and temperatures were investigated. Mostly, the SiO2 nanoparticle addition improved the drilling fluid performance however, the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles in higher concentrations was not so effective. The concentration of SiO2 nanoparticles for effective and justifiable usage should be carefully selected. The KCl also had impact on SiO2 nanoparticles behavior in drilling fluid. It is shown by measuring zeta potential and particles size, the SiO2 nanoparticles in different temperatures, SiO2 and KCl concentrations have different properties. The high KCl concentration affected the effectiveness of SiO2 nanoparticles in filtration behavior improvement. Moreover, presence of KCl changed the thixotropical behavior of SiO2 contained drilling fluid. Keywords: Nanofluid, Drilling fluid, Filtration, Thixotropy, SiO2 nanoparticle