INVESTIGATION OF POTENTIALS OF KEROSENE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO DIESEL IN FORMULATION OF DRILLING FLUID

Abstract

fluids. Oil-based drilling fluids were formulated using bentonite, guar gum, calcium chloride, primary and secondary emulsifiers, lime, water, hydroxyethylcellulose ( HEC), barite, and base oils (diesel and kerosene). The oil to water ratios of the formulation were varied at 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, 90/10 100 (no water) when both diesel and kerosene were used as base oil. The Fann viscometer was used to study selected rheological properties and the mud balance was used for the mud weight analysis. The mud formulated using kerosene had
the lowest apparent and plastic viscosities of 51 and 6 cP respectively at an oil/water ratio of 100 (no water), least mud density of 7.0 lb/gal at an oil/water ratio of 100 (no water), highest 10 sec and 10 min gel strength of 20 lb/100ft2 and 21 lb/100ft2 respectively. It was also observed that mud formulated with diesel had the highest mud density of 8.2 lb/gal at oil/water ratio of 60/40. Plastic viscosity of mud formulated using diesel as base oil decreased from 40 to 10 cP as the oil/water ratio was increased from 60/40 to 100; while that for mud formulated using kerosene as base oil decreased from 34 to 16 cP while yield points decreased from 145 to 101 lb/100 ft2 when oil to water ratio was increased from 60/40 to 100. Also, yield point decreased from 150 to 108 lb/100 ft2 as oil to water ratio was increased from 60/40 to 100 when kerosene was used as base oil. Kerosene has been found to present a better prospect as base oil for drilling mud than diesel with respect to plastic, apparent viscosities 10 sec and 10 min gel strengths.