Suitability of beneficiated local starch under elevated temperature as a fluid loss control additive used in petroleum industry

Abstract

Several local drilling fluid loss control additives have been developed using agricultural products, but the extent of temperature effect on the local additives is not well known when evaluation and performance is made with those of the widely used foreign additives. This study investigated and compared the effect of temperature on drilling fluids prepared with foreign additive (Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose) and those prepared with local starch obtained from Cassava grown in Rivers State. The results indicated the extent of the effect of temperature on their rheological properties and filtration properties using Fann Viscometer and API Static Filtration Test respectively. All the samples exhibited similar trend in their rheological behaviors and filtration loss under normal temperature, but the local samples had major decrease in rheological properties and very high increase in fluid loss at elevated temperatures. However the beneficiated local starch had better results and compared favorably to the imported Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose at the same conditions of temperature.

Keywords: Local Starch, Elevated Temperature, Rheological Properties, Filtration Properties, Drilling Fluids