Experimental evaluation of nanomaterials to improve drilling fluid properties of water-based muds HP/HT applications

These days, significant investigations are carried out on the preparation of high qualified aqueous-based drilling fluid-structure to create the best option compared with oil-base drilling fluid at high-pressure and high-temperature situations utilizing an optimum cost approach. Nanomaterials may have the desirable possibility of using their favored utilization documented in many publications. Although high cost, due to more concentration and side undesirable effects on one or some mud properties, this situation restricts using these materials in various industries. In this experimental research, an effort was made to enhance the application of water-based drilling fluids by using three kinds of nanomaterials, called zirconium oxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and titanium dioxide nanohybrids, and functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Accomplishing some rheological, filtration characteristics and conductivity experiments on the experimental samples with nanomaterials mentioned manifested that the hybrids and zirconium oxide efficiently improve the drilling fluid rheological parameters including plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of the mud with a slow influence on the mud filtrate volume. However, by the multi-walled carbon nanotubes, the filtration properties are remarkably decreased with no undesirable side effects on rheological characteristics, particularly at the 0.5 wt% concentration. Generally, it could be concluded that using the nanomaterials at concentrations up to 0.5 wt% into the water-based mud has the possibility of enhancing rheological and filtration characteristics.