Drilling fluid additives, also called drilling mud additives, are chemicals added to drilling fluids to improve their performance. They also help address different issues in the drilling process.
Drilling fluids play essential roles in gas and oil drilling processes like bit lubrication, hole cleaning, wellbore stability, pressure control, etc. Therefore, controlling and maintaining their properties is vital. Different drilling mud additives are available depending on the application.
Weighting Agents
Also called density control additives, they increase the drilling fluid’s weight or density to reach acceptable levels for safe drilling operations. The most common weighting agent is barite, but you can use others like calcium carbonate, siderite, galena, hematite, and ilmenite.
Viscosifiers
Bentonite is the main viscosifier that helps to ease the transportation of cuttings to the surface. Xanthan Gum is another viscosifier that offers viscosity control, which helps maintain the drilling liquid’s properties under differing pressure and temperature conditions.
Fluid Loss Control Agents
These help stabilize the fluid, reducing its likelihood of entering the formation and interacting with the shale. That protects reactive shale when drilling and manages fluid loss into formations. Polyanionic cellulose (PAC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are the most common fluid loss control agents.
Shale Inhibitors
These additives, like potassium chloride, control reactive shales after water encounters, minimizing the water’s ability to hydrate them. That, in turn, helps stabilize the formation.
Thinners And Dispersants
They separate particles to thin the drilling fluid. That enables the drilling fluid to carry the particles out of the hole. The most common thinners and dispersants are lignosulfonate, Desco, and lignite.
Corrosion Inhibitors
They protect the drill bit, pipe, and other metallic components in the drilling process from acidic substances in the formation. Common corrosion inhibitors include aluminum bisulfate, zinc chromate, iron oxide, and zinc carbonate.
With a team of highly-trained and experienced professionals, Italmatch Chemicals prides itself on providing unique, tailor-made additive solutions for various industries and applications. Order your drilling fluid additives online today and learn more about the organization at Lubeperformanceadditives.com.
