Experimental Research of Shale Pellet Swelling in Nano-Based Drilling Muds

• Main Authors: Borivoje Pašić, Nediljka Gaurina-Međimurec, Petar Mijić, Igor Medved
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: SiO₂ and TiO₂ nanoparticles; wellbore instability; shale hydration; clay swelling; pellets; nano-based drilling mud
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6246

The drilling of clay-rich formations, such as shale, is an extremely demanding technical and technological process. Shale consists of mixed clay minerals in different ratios and in contact with water from drilling mud. It tends to swell and cause different wellbore instability problems. Usually, the petroleum industry uses various types of salt and/or polymers as shale hydration inhibitors. The aim of this research was to determine whether nanoparticles can be used as shale swelling inhibitors because due to their small size they can enter the shale nanopores, plug them and stop further penetration of mud filtrate into the shale formation. Swelling of bentonite-calcium carbonate pellets after 2 and 24 h in water and drilling mud (water, bentonite, PAC and NaOH) without nanoparticles and with addition of TiO₂ (0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt%) and SiO₂(0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt%) nanoparticles was measured using a linear swell meter. Additionally, granulometric analyses of bentonite as well as the zeta potential of tested muds containing nanoparticles were performed. Based on the laboratory research, it can generally be concluded that the addition of SiO₂ and TiO₂ nanoparticles in water and base drilling mud reduces the swelling of pellets up to 40.06%.