Nano-Enhanced Drilling Fluids:
technology and can endow with economically and technically
Pioneering Approach to Overcome
Uncompromising Drilling Problems
J. Abdo
e-tnail: jdabdo@squ.edu,oni
M. Danish Haneef
e-mail: m087813(a)squ.edu.oni
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department,
P.O Box: 33,
Sultan Qaboos University,
Muscat 123, Oman
The idea of pushing the limits of drilling oil and gas wells by
improving drilling fluids for undemanding atid cost efficient dtil-
ling operatiotts by e.xtracting advantage from the wonders of
nanotechnology forms the basis of the work presented here. Fore-
most, in order to highlight the significance of reducing the size
distribution of particles, new clay ATR which has a chain like
strtwture and offers enormous surface area and increased reactiv-
ity was tested in diffetent sizes that were chetnically and mechani-
cally milled. Bentonite which is a commonly used drilling fluid
additive was also tested in different particle size distribution
(PSD) and rheological properties were tested. Significant reduc-
tion in viscosity with small sized particles was recorded. The
tested material called ATR throughout this paper is shown to offer
better functionality than bentonite without the requirement of
other expensive additives. Experiments were performed with dif-
ferent size distributions and compositions and drastic changes in
rheological properties are observed. A detailed investigation of
the shear thinning behavior was also catried out with ATR .sam-
ples in order to confirm its functionality for eliminating the prob-
lem of mechanical and differential pipe sticking, while retaining
suitable viscosity and density for avoidattce of problems like lost
circulation, poor hole cleaning and inappropriate operating
hydrostatic pressures. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005244]
Introduction and Background
The growing reliance on oil & the continuing lack of economi-
cal substitutes for petroleum-based transportation fuels has gen-
erated concern about the future adequacy of the world's
petroleum resources [I]. The motivation to maintain the future
sufficiency of oil reserves has mobilized the geologists and the
drilling industry to look for ways and means to augment existing
technologies for improved oil recovery from existing resources
by deep drilling and develop new technologies like coiled tubing
drilling for economically feasible drilling from small reservoirs.
The obstructions offered in achieving aforementioned targets are
the drilling problems encountered that limits the capabilities of
the overall drilling program and hence add to the overall drilling
costs. Therefore, it is an implicit fact that resolving drilling
Contributed by tbe Petroleum Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL
OF ENERGY RESOURCE.S TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received September 8, 20t0; final
manuscript received September 2, 20tl; published online December 23, 2011.
Assoc. Editor: Andrew K. Wojtanowicz.
Journal of Energy Resources Technology Copyright © 2012 by ASME
problems can enable to push the limits of the existing drilling
viable drilling operations. One of the key to resolve frequently
occurring and harsh drilling problems is controlling the rheology
of the drilling fluids.
Drilling Fluid Functionality. The successful completion of
oil well & its cost depend, to a considerable extent, on the dril-
ling fiuid, as well as on oil well cement and drilling bit [2].
These fiuids mu.st be engineered to perform well as conditions
change during the drilling process. The drilling fiuid is
expected to perform multiple tasks concurrently, like cooling
the drill bit, lubricate the rotating drill pipe (or sliding tube in
coiled tubing drilling), and effective hole cleaning, but if the
fiuid lacks in any of the functional requirements could lead to
severe drilling problems like, lost circulation, formation dam-
age, pipe sticking, erosion of the bore hole, poor hole cleaning,
and high torque and drag that significantly reduces the effi-
ciency of drilling [3-6]. Various conventional polymeric and
surfactant additives that have been tested for superior perform-
ance of the drilling fiuids have high cost and degrade at high
temperature high pressure (HTHP) conditions, which lead to
unwanted changes in rheological properties. In the light of
aforesaid functional requirements of drilling fiuids, it is thus a
topic of utmost interest for the researchers and drilling industry
to develop tailored made drilling fluids that could be able to
perform the job with best level of agreement and maintain their
paramount functionality over a wide range of variables like
temperature, pressure, types of formations, and drilling envi-
ronments. The viscosity, density and the shear strength of the
drilling fiuid are the key factors that determine the functional
specifications of the drilling fiuids with the obvious inference
of the fact that they should remain constant over a wide range
of operating condition. The multifarious nature of the oil well
drilling operation have always kept the drilling industry acti-
vated in scrutinizing the resources to expand knowledge of
having definite set of rheological properties to suit particular
conditions and improve their working range.
Expected Performance of Nano-Enhanced Drilling
Eluids. The onset of nanotechnology has revolutionized the
science and engineering faction, and due to its huge domain of
applicability, like every other industry, the drilling industry
can also pull out terrific benefits from nanotechnology out of
which one of the most promising prospects is the use of nano-
particles in drilling mud in order to have a definite operational
performance, stability, and suitability to adopt well with a
wide range of operating conditions with minor changes in com-
position and sizes [7[. The use of nanoparticles in drilling flu-
ids will enable the drilling technologists to swiftly modify the
drilling fiuid rheology by changing the composition, type, or
size distribution of nanoparticles to suit any particular situa-
tion, discourage use of other expensive additives, and improved
functionality. The use of nanoparticles synthesized from differ-
ent materials has been used to achieve certain targets and are
reported in the literature [8,9]. Hence, by controlling the rheol-
ogy by using nanoparticles, severe drilling problems can be
avoided and also will enable to conveniently modify the prop-
erties to suit particular drilling conditions, i.e., type of forma-
tion, temperature, formation pressure, required operating
pressure, etc.
Rheology—A Key to EfTicient Drilling Operations. After
having a detailed literature survey and investigation into the
causes of the drilling problems related to the functionality of dril-
ling fiuids, the following rheological properties are identified to be
the cause of the problems:
MARCH 2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-1
Problem Cause Rheological property to be controlled
Lost circulation High fluid pressure Density should be maintained while
than formation pressure tailoring the viscosity
Formation damage Inappropriate viscosity Viscosity (choiee dependent on operating
Differential pipe Poor carrying capacity Viscosity (choice dependent on operating
sticking of the fluid
Mechanical pipe High torque & drag
sticking
Nanoparticles due to their very fine nature and enormous area
of interaction are expected to display novel behavior in drilling
fluids in the form of allowing to tailor the properties in a handy
way to suit particular drilling conditions, thus serving as a cause
to reduce aforementioned problems which are often the main
cause of bringing about huge additional costs due to nonproduc-
tive time. Thus, Keeping in view the global scenario of oil
reserves scarcity, the strive for improved oil recovery, the marvels
of nanotechnology, and the inspiration to develop better drilling
fluids to cope up with the state of affairs, forms the basis of the
work.
Environmental/Health Issues, An important feature to be
highlighted is that, since it is well known that the only aspect that
makes nanoparticles risky from environmental and safety point of
view is their mobility and increased chemical reactivity, thus in
this case the use of nanoparticles in drilling fluids are anticipated
to have no environmental and safety concerns due to nonhazar-
dous and chemically inert nature of the materials being used.
Equipment and Experimental Procedure
In order to investigate the effect of size reduction and to have a
better insight into how the rheological properties can be tailored
to meet certain operational requirements, the work is divided into
the following sections:
Section-1: Reducing the Size of ATR. Initial studies revealed
that a material (called ATR in this paper) which is abundant in
Oman, have good Fann viscosity for use in drilling mud & is a
prospective material to use in nanoform to improve rheological
(a) FRITSCH attrition milling machine (b) FanniS Vi
(c) Sample Mixer (d) Mud Density Balance
Fig, 1 Equipment used (a) Milling (b) Viscosity measurement
(c) Sampling (d) Density measurement
014501-2 / Vol. 134, MARCH 2012
Role of Nanos:
Allows tailoring of viscosity without
influencing the density
Allows to have adaptable viscosities to suit
conditions) particular condition
Allows to have adaptable viscosities to suit
conditions) particular condition
Shear stress Impart reduction in shear stress specially at low
operating speeds
properties. XRD tests were carried out and the material was found
to be consisting mainly of Montmorillonite [Nax (Al,Mg) 2SÍ4O10
(OH)], Quartz low (SÍO2), and Clinochlore-IIb [MgsAl (SÍ3AI)
0|() (0H)8] [10-12]. The material was used in different sizes
(micro and nano) to illustrate the tailoring of rheological proper-
ties of drilling fluids without using other additives,
Section-2: Comparison of Bentonite and ATR. Brief com-
parison of the structure and constituents of bentonite and ATR is
presented followed by result of experiments on samples contain-
ing bentonite alone. This is to highlight the significance of benton-
ite in producing thick fluids as per the requirement which cannot
be fulfilled by ATR alone. Besides, the size reduction of bentonite
is also tested but did not showed consistent results due to the high
flocculation of bentonite at small size.
Section-3: Use of Nanosized ATR With Bentonite, In order
to extract the benefit of having thick fluids due to bentonite and
the swift modification and homogeneity in rheology due to ATR,
experiments were performed on samples containing combination
of ATR (nano) and bentonite. This displayed the best set of prop-
erties and an excellent shear thinning behavior. The results justi-
fied by comparing with the results of section 1 and section 2.
Equipment. The equipment used to carry out the tasks of mill-
ing, mixing, viscosity measurements, and density measurements is
shown in Fig. 1.
Results and Discussions
Section-1: Reducing the Size of ATR. Samples of ATR
milled to different sizes were prepared and viscosity measure-
ments carried out by Fann 35 Viscometer. The reduction in size of
ATR particles and its impact on rheological properties is pre-
sented in Tables 1-3. Each of the samples contains 40 g of ATR
in 500 ml of water. The experiments were repeated to confirm for
accuracy and the average values are reported.
The following equations were used for calculating the PV and
YP.
PV = Reading at 600 RPM - Reading at 300 RPM (1)
YP = Reading at 600 RPM - 2 * (PV) (2)
It can be observed from the results presented in Table 1, that the
reduction of PSD from sample 1 to sample 3 (Micro or greater)
does not impart any significant improvement in the plastic vi.scos-
ity and yield point of the drilling fluid samples and yields almost
similar values at different RPMs. For sample 4 (nanosize) the vis-
cosity began to deviate from the trend what was observed in size
reduction from sample 1 to sample 3. This shows that the func-
tionality of nanosized particles now came into play and thus
showed high viscosity. Even though improvement in viscosity is
quite obvious but the constant yield point has to be justified by
measuring Gel strength measurements for scrutinizing the carry-
ing capacity of the fluid. Table 2 presents the 10 s and 10 min Gel
strengths measured for above four samples.
Thus, from the gel strength measurements the effectiveness of
nanosized ATR clay in terms of its carrying capacity is very well
Transactions of the ASME
 Table 1 PVand YP of samples containing different PSD of ATR

Dial readings at following RPM

600 300 200 100 6 3 P.V (cp) Yield Point (YP)

Sample I Fine grinded 6 3.5 3 1.5 0.3 0.1 2.5 1
Sample 2 Size <63 um 5.5 3 2 1.5 0.5 0.2 2.5 0.5
Sample 3 Size <20 ßm 5 3 2.5 2 1 0.5 2 1
Sample 4 Size = 30 nm diameter 9 5 3.5 2.5 1.5 1 4 1

Table 2 10 sec and 10 min gel strengths of samples containing Table 3 Shear stress (Pa) at different shear rates (Samples 1 -4)
different PSD of ATR (lb/100 ft^)
Rotational speed 600 300 200 100 6 3
Gel strength measured at 3 RPM Shear rate 1022 511.02 340.68 170.34 10.22 S.ll
Sample 1 Fine grinded 3.06 1.785 1.53 0.765 0.153 0.051
10 sec 10 min I Increase Sample 2 Size <63 /im 2.805 1.53 1.02 0.765 0.255 0.102
Sample 3 Size <20/¡m 2.55 1.53 1.275 1.02 0.51 0.255
Sample I Fine grinded 0.2 0.3 50
Sample 4 Size = 30 nm 4.59 2.55 1.785 1.275 0.765 0.51
Sample 2 Size <63 ßvn (milled) 0.6 0.8 33.4
diameter
Sample 3 Size <20 //m (milled) 0.5 0.65 30
Sample 4 Size = 30 nm diameter 1.5 4.5 2(X)

Shear rate = rotational speed (rpm) x 1.7034 (1/s) (3)

justified. It displayed an improvement of 200% in terms of its gel-
ling characteristics thus confirming its superior performance in
holding on the drill cuttings when in .static condition. It is conven-
ient to conclude that the problem of poor hole cleaning can be
tackled well by this recipe. The high gelling characteri.stics of the
fiuids may demand a high starting torque that needs to be justified
by investigating the shear thinning behavior of the fiuid.
When the drilling operation is stopped for some period of time
and resumed again the drilling fiuid should not offer high starting
torque and drag due to its sluggish circumstances. As it is obvious
from the results that even at very low shear rates, i.e., 3 rpm, the
reduction in shear stress is highest, thus indicating the effective-
ness of ATR (nano) to be used at very low shear rates or in slug-
gish conditions. This would offer a better solution to differential
and mechanical pipe sticking as it does not offer high shear stress,
and while having a desirable low value of viscosity to achieve
other functionality targets
Shear stress = 0.51 x dial reading (Pa) (4)
As explained earlier that the shear thinning behavior of the dril-
ling fiuid to contribute toward efficient cuttings transports the
shear thinning behavior of each of the samples was confirmed by
further experiments. When analyzed individually, each of the
samples displayed a perfect shear thinning behavior which is a
highly desired feature for drilling fiuids. The results are presented
in Figs. 2{a)-2(d).
In addition to the properties di.scussed above it is also crucial to
keep an eye on the density of the drilling fluid because if forma-
tion pressure increases, mud density should also be increased, of-
ten with barite (or other weighting materials) to balance pressure
and keep the wellbore stable. Unbalanced formation pressures
will cause an unexpected influx of pressure in the wellbore possi-
bly leading to a blowout from pressured formation fluids. In prac-
tice, mud density should be limited to the minimum necessary for

^1200
<l 1000
800 ^ 800
600
400
I ^^°
u 400
200 I 200
t« 0
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3
Shear Stress CPa) Shear Stress (Pa)
(a) Shear thinning behavior of sample-1 (b) Shear thinning behavior of sample-2

,-,1200 ^1200
^1000
800 V 800
600 I 600
400 t 400
I 200
0
I 200
wj 0
0 1 2 3 0 2 4 6
Shear Stress (Pa) Shear Stress (Pa)
(c) Shear thinning behavior of sample-3 (d) Shear thinning behavior of sainple-4

Fig. 2 Shear thinning behaviors of samples 1-4

Journal of Energy Resources Technology MARCH2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-3

Table 4 Density (g/cm^) of samples with different PSD of ATR Table 6 Density (g/cm^) of samples with different PSD of
bentonite
Size Density (g/cm )
Size Density (g/cm" )
Sample 1 Fine grinded 1.015
Sample 2 Size <63 /im • 1.020 Sample 5 Fine grinded 1.050
Sample 3 Size <20 fim 1,030 Sample 6 Size < 63 /im 1.015
Sample 4 Size = 30 nm diameter 1,055

salt water drilling mud for drilling formations contaminated with

1.06
0.99
Fig, 3 Density (g/cm^) of samples with different PSD of ATR
well control and wellbore stability. If too great it may fracture the
formation. Thus, it is crucial to maintain a density suitable enough
to fulfill the above mentioned requirements while varying the vis-
cosity, yield point, and gel strength. Keeping in view this fact,
density tests carried out on the same samples by using mud den-
sity balance revealed noteworthy results in the form of displaying
significant changes with changing size. It is thus evident that any
of the rheological parameters can be tailored by changing the size
to suit any type of drilling environment. Density test results are
presented in Table 4 below:
Graphically, the results shown as:
It is evident from the results in Fig. 3, that reducing the particle
size has a significant effect on the mud density which is a must to
tailor, to suit different formation pressures.
Thus, based on the investigations on viscosity, yield point, gel
strength, and density it is conveniently concluded that sample 4
(nano) dominated in all of the characteristics and hence confirm-
ing the benefit of particle size reduction to nanoscale.
Section-2: Comparison Between Bentonite and ATR. Bentonite
which is a commonly used drilling fluid additive is an absorbent
aluminium phyllosilicate, in general, impure clay consisting
mostly of montmorillonite. The crystal structure of bentonite is
three-layer sheet and forms particles in form of flakes thus having
a medium ranged surface area. Flocculation is one of the major
drawbacks of bentonite. Whereas, ATR which has a chain like
crystal structure forms particles in form of needles thus have a
high surface area and hence increased reactivity. ATR forms gel
structures in fresh and salt water by establishing a lattice structure
of particles connected through hydrogen bonds. ATR, unlike ben-
tonite, will form gel structures in salt water and is used in special
salt.
The results explained in section I showed that reducing PSD of
ATR may lead to superior properties but yet the low values of vis-
cosity can be a stumbling block in performing efficiently in some
drilling conditions. It is thus understood that even though the size
reduction greatly influences the rheology the use of ATR alone is
not feasible for drilling situations that require high viscosity dril-
ling fluids. In this section bentonite will be discussed and the
advantage of forming thick fluids by bentonite will be highlighted.
Two samples containing different PSD of bentonite were tested
and results reported in Table 5:
Sample 5 is the commercially available bentonite that is used in
drilling fluids whereas sample 6 is the drilling fluid sample con-
taining mechanically milled bentonite having a PSD < 63 /im
(less than commercially available bentonite which is >100 ßm).
The high dial readings at different RPM are highly desirable fea-
ture but cannot be attained by ATR. Thus, bentonite has the
advantage of producing thick fluids over ATR. But it is interesting
to note the drastic change in dial readings and YP by just minor
size reduction, which is not due to any remarkable change in
chemistry, but due to flocculation. Density tests on bentonite are
presented in Table 6 below which again showed unexpectedly
high drop in density:
Based on the results presented in section 1 and section 2 it is
thus concluded that, size reduction of ATR have significant
impact on rheology but it lacks in capability of forming thick flu-
ids. On the other hand bentonite which has capability to form
thick fluids has the drawback of inconsistent properties and floc-
culation. The next section discusses the results of combining the
benefits of nanosized ATR and regularly used bentonite thus test-
ing a way to develop a wide range of recipes to suit any particular
requirement.
Section-3: Use of Nanosized ATR With Bentonite. To
improve the functionality of bentonite and impart superior charac-
teristics without adding expensive additives, different samples of
drilling fluids were prepared with 40 g of bentonite in each. Then,
different quantities of nanosized ATR were mixed and properties
recorded.
Results are shown in Table 7 below:
Unlike the results in Table 1 showing very low viscosities and
YPs, the use of the combination of bentonite and nanosized ATR
gives excellent properties as shown in Table 7. Different composi-
tions of nanosized ATR can be used to reduce the viscosity while
maintaining a sufficient gel strength and density as .shown in
Tables 8 and 9, respectively.
From Table 8, it is clear that increasing the quantity of ATR
nano imparts remarkable gel strength to the drilling fluids while
keeping the viscosity low. Achieving both characteristics simulta-
neously is not possible by BR or ATR alone (ATR only effective

Table 5 PV and YP of samples containing different PSD of Bentonite

Dial Readings at following RPM

600 300 200 100 6 3 P.V (cp) Yield point (YP)

Sample 5 Fine grinded 40 35 30 27 24 19 5 30

Sample 6 Size < 63 /im 7.5 4 3 2 0.9 0.5 3.5 0.5

014501-4 / Vol, 134, MARCH 2012 Transactions of the ASME

 Table 7 PV and YP of samples containing different composition of ATR (nano) with 40 g of BR

Dial Readings at following RPM

600 300 200 100 6 3 P.V(cp) Yield point (YP)

Sample 7 2 g ATR nano 35 29 24 22 18 15 6 23
Sample 8 4 g ATR nano 28 24 19 16 12 9.5 4 20
Sample 9 6 g ATR nano 26 20 21 15.5 10.5 7.5 6 14
Sample 10 8 g ATR nano 24 18 17 16 8 6.5 6 I»

Table 8 10 s and 10 min gel strengths of samples 7-10 Table 10 Shear stress (Pa) at different shear rates (Samóles
7-10)
Measured iat 3 RPM
Rotational speed 600 300 200 100 6 3
10 s 10 min % increase Shear rate 1022 511.02 340.68 170.34 10.22 S.ll
Sample 7 2 g ATR nano 17.85 14.79 12.24 11. 22 9.18 7.65
Sample 7 2 g ATR nano 17 32 88 Sample 8 4 g ATR nano 14.28 12.24 9.69 8. 16 6.12 4.845
Sample 8 4 g ATR nano 10.5 24 128 Sample 9 6 g ATR nano 13.26 10.2 10.71 7.905 5.355 3.825
Sample 9 6 g ATR nano 12 29 147 Sample 10 8 g ATR nano 12.24 9.18 8.67 8. 16 4.08 3.315
Sample 10 8 g ATR nano 10 38 280

Table 9 Density (g/cm^) of samples 7-10 Another important task is to confirm the shear thinning behav-
ior of the samples 7 and 8 and the results are shown in Table 10
Composition Density (g/cm^) below
Sample 7
From the steep slopes in Fig. 4, it is obvious that the samples
2 g ATR nano 1.055
Sample 8 4 g ATR nano 7-10 display a better shear thinning behavior as compared to that
1.065
Sample 9 6 g ATR nano 1.07 shown in Fig. 2. It is thus confirmed that the use of bentonite and
Sample 10 8 g ATR nano 1.08 ATR nano together have a remarkable versatility and control over
the rheological due to combination of the advantages of both
materials together. Such versatility and control cannot be achieved
by bentonite or ATR alone. Numerous other recipes are possible
by varying the size and composition of bentonite and ATR, to suit
in nanosize) as explained earlier in sections I and 2. Another star- a wide range of requirements.
tling feature is the notable increase in the density of the drilling Spurt loss and fluid loss are major factors that play an important
fluid with reducing viscosity which is due to the inclusion of AT role in causing formation damage. The fluid losses without Nano-
nanoparticles. Bentonite alone is not capable of maintaining a particles and with Nanoparticles are studied using API Filter
high density with reducing vi.scosity due to size reduction (as press. Different samples of drilling fluids were prepared with 40 g
apparent from Table 6). ATR nanoparticles play an important role of bentonite in each. Then, different quantities of nanosized ATR
in homogenizing the drilling fluid due to its excellent colloidal were mixed. The prepared blend is then poured to a filter press
behavior thus displaying superior characteristics. cup. Hundred pounds per square inch of pressure is applied and

^1500
^1500
Û1000 wlOOO
s 500
s 500
w
o JB
(A
0
o 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15
Shear Stress (Pa) Shear Stress (Pa)
(a) Shear thinning behavior of sample-7 (b) Shear thinning behavior of sample-8

5 10 15 5 10 15
' Shear Stress (Pa) Shear Stress (Pa)
(c) Shear thinning behavior of sample-9 (d) Shear thinning behavior of sample-10

Fig. 4 Shear thinning behaviors of samples 7-10

Journal of Energy Resources Technology MARCH2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-5

 Tabie 11 Fiuid ioss over a period of 30 min for different sampies with and without Nanoparticies

Samples Sample 11 : Fine grinded Sample 12: Size <63 /im Sample 13: 2 g Sample 14: 4 g Sample 15: 6 g Sample 16: 8 g
without nanoparticles without nanoparticles ATR nano ATR nano ATR nano ATR nano

Time Fluid loss (ml)

Spurt 0.75 0.66 0.31 0.9 1.06 0.95

1 min 3.5 2.8 2.5 2.1 2.2 3.8
4 min 5.5 4.4 3 3.2 4.0 5.8
7 min 7.5 5.9 5.8 4.6 4.9 6.4
10 min 10 7.4 7.2 5.1 SA 7.5
15 min 11.7 9.9 9.5 5.4 6.8 9.7
30 min 17.5 •' 13.5 10.9 8.0 8.7 14

fluid loss is measured after 1 min, 4 min, 7 min, 10 min, 15 min,
and 30 min. Table 11 shows the fluid loss over a period of 30 min
for different samples with and without nanoparticles. The spurt
losses were calculated with extrapolating to zero time. Sample 14
had the best performance of the samples having the least fluid loss
at 8.0 ml: in comparison the sample 11 without addition of Nano-
particles had a fluid loss of 13.5 ml.
The lubricating quality of drilling fluids is measured by OFI lu-
bricity tester. Frictional resistance to rotation of the drill string is
called torque and frictional resistance to hoisting and lowering the
drill string is called drag. The torques without Nanoparticles and
with Nanoparticles are studied using OFI Lubricity Tester Model
111-00. Two samples of drilling fluids were prepared one with 40
g of bentonite and 4 g of ATR Size <63 /im (sample 17). Sample
18 is prepared with 40 g of bentonite and 4 g of ATR nano. The
coefficient of friction (CF) is defined as
CF = F/W (5)
where F is frictional force and W is the force applied normal to
the two surfaces. Lubricity measurements of drilling fluids gener-
ally report torque reduction, where torque reduction is defined as
% Torque Reduction = (A - B)/A x 100 (6)
where A is CF for water and B is CF for the drilling fluid being
tested. CF was measured for deionized water at 60 rpm and was
found to be 34. The applied force on the surfaces was removed
and sample 17 was placed between the two test surfaces. The
force was then reapplied to the steel surfaces, the apparatus was
re-immersed in deionized water and CF was recorded at 60 rpm.
CF was measured at 22.5 initially but climbed throughout the du-
ration of the test to 34. Using the value of 22.5, torque reduction
was calculated as follows: % torque reduction = (34 - 22.5)/
(34) X 100 = 33.8%. The test was repeated using sample 18. CF
was measured at 14.4 initially but climbed throughout the duration
of the test to 34. Using the value of 22.5, torque reduction was cal-
culated as follows: % torque reduction = (34 - 11.6)/(34) x
100 = 66%, This represents a significant decrease in torque using
the nanoparticles in a laboratory test envirotunent.
. [9| Jimenez. M., 2002. "Method for Treating Drilling Fluid Using Nanoparticles,
Conclusion
The effectiveness of reducing the particle size distribution of
clay material for use in drilling fluid was tested. The nanoparticles
of the tested material ATR were found to be suitable for use in
drilling mud due to its functional characteristic of maintaining
low viscosity without compromising the density requirement and
thus expected to minimize drilling problems. Besides, it is also ca-
pable of maintaining a high gel strength that is essential for avoid-
ing many severe drilling problems. Bentonite was also tested in
smaller particle size distribution but displayed inconsistent results
due to high flocculation. A combination of regular bentonite and
ATR nanoparticles displayed the best and optimized set of proper-
ties due to combining the characteristics of high density of ben-
tonite and low viscosity and high gel strength of ATR
nanoparticles, which is not possible when either of the two clays
are used alone. Thus, the use of new material ATR in nanosize is
justified and opens up ways to develop versatile drilling fluid rec-
ipes to suit any particular type of drilling formation and operating
conditions.
Abbreviations
BR = regular bentonite '
PV = plastic viscosity
ATR = tested material
YP = yield point
Cp = centipoise
PSD = particle size distribution
CF = coefficient of friction
F= frictional force
W= force applied normal to the two surfaces
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