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Study on a New Environmentally Friendly Synthetic Fluid for Preparing Synthetic-Based Drilling Fluid
Yuxue Sun1, Xiuyu Zhu2, Jingyuan Zhao1
1College of Petroleum Engineering, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|December 31, 2020
Summary
A new synthetic drilling fluid, NSF, was developed using heavy hydrocarbons. This environmentally friendly fluid meets international standards for low sulfur and aromatic content, offering reduced toxicity and improved drilling performance.
Area of Science:
- Petroleum Engineering
- Environmental Science
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional oil-based drilling fluids pose significant pollution risks.
- Developing environmentally friendly alternatives is crucial for sustainable drilling operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel, non-toxic, environmentally friendly synthetic fluid (NSF) for drilling applications.
- To evaluate NSF's performance and environmental compliance compared to conventional drilling fluids.
Main Methods:
- Utilized heavy hydrocarbons from Daqing as raw material.
- Employed hydrodesulfurization, hydrodearomatization, and hydrogenation refining techniques.
- Analyzed NSF composition, including C12-C22 hydrocarbon content, sulfur and aromatic levels, specific gravity, degradation, LC50, and flash point.
Main Results:
- Achieved <0.5 mg/L sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbon content, meeting international environmental standards.
- NSF exhibits low impurity content, small specific gravity, and easy degradation.
- Demonstrated low toxicity (LC50 >1,000,000 mg/L) and a high flash point (134°C), indicating low fire hazard.
- Synthetic-based drilling fluid with NSF prevents reservoir swelling damage and reduces costs associated with environmental and field problems.
- Increased Rate of Penetration (ROP) by minimizing drill pipe sticking.
Conclusions:
- Successfully prepared a high-quality, non-toxic synthetic fluid (NSF) that meets stringent international environmental standards for sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbon content.
- NSF-based drilling fluid offers significant environmental benefits, improved safety, stable performance, and enhanced drilling efficiency.
- The adoption of NSF-based drilling fluids promotes environmentally responsible drilling practices.
