Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability

This study examines the viability of using graphitic-Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) nanomaterial as shale stabilizer drilling fluid additive having applications in the oil and gas wells drilling. Shale stability is important especially when drilling horizontal and extended reach wells with water-based muds...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anwar Ahmed, Erum Pervaiz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyaba Noor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024172684
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841526229023326208
author Anwar Ahmed
Erum Pervaiz
Iftikhar Ahmed
Tayyaba Noor
author_facet Anwar Ahmed
Erum Pervaiz
Iftikhar Ahmed
Tayyaba Noor
author_sort Anwar Ahmed
collection DOAJ
description This study examines the viability of using graphitic-Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) nanomaterial as shale stabilizer drilling fluid additive having applications in the oil and gas wells drilling. Shale stability is important especially when drilling horizontal and extended reach wells with water-based muds (WBM) to tap unconventional reservoirs namely shale oil and shale gas. For this study, the g-C3N4 nanomaterial was produced by melamine pyrolysis, and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy techniques. The developed g-C3N4 was used to formulate the WBM and its impact on the formulated mud system's rheological and filtration control characteristics as well as on shale stability was examined. In comparison to the base mud, the treated mud showed lower Fluid Loss (FL) and higher thermal stability. FL was reduced by 41.8 % and 68 % under Before Hot Rolling (BHR) and After Hot Rolling (AHR) conditions, respectively, with a maximum cake thickness of 1 mm. The Yield Point was improved by 52 % and 66 % under BHR and AHR conditions, respectively. The increase in Plastic Viscosity, and Apparent Viscosity was 23.8 %, and 38 %, respectively. Shale recovery was 99.6 % in g-C3N4 treated fluid compared to 88 % in the base fluid. The treated shale Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and the pore volume were significantly reduced compared to the pure shale, indicating significant plugging of shale nano- and micro-pores. The BET surface area of the g-C3N4 treated shale sample was 0.0405 m2/g compared to pure shale sample's surface area 0.3501 m2/g. Correspondingly, the pore volume of treated shale was 0.000029 cm3/g compared to the pure shale sample's pore volume 0.000911 cm3/g. Therefore, based on the experimental results obtained, it is inferred that the developed g-C3N4 nanomaterial has potential applications in WBM systems for drilling long shale sections.
format Article
id doaj-art-cf9f680075a74236a745904e044cabd7
institution Kabale University
issn 2405-8440
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Heliyon
spelling doaj-art-cf9f680075a74236a745904e044cabd72025-01-17T04:50:36ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-01-01111e41237Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stabilityAnwar Ahmed0Erum Pervaiz1Iftikhar Ahmed2Tayyaba Noor3Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME), National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, PakistanDepartment of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME), National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan; Corresponding author.Environment and Public Health Department, College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, 59911, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME), National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, PakistanThis study examines the viability of using graphitic-Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) nanomaterial as shale stabilizer drilling fluid additive having applications in the oil and gas wells drilling. Shale stability is important especially when drilling horizontal and extended reach wells with water-based muds (WBM) to tap unconventional reservoirs namely shale oil and shale gas. For this study, the g-C3N4 nanomaterial was produced by melamine pyrolysis, and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy techniques. The developed g-C3N4 was used to formulate the WBM and its impact on the formulated mud system's rheological and filtration control characteristics as well as on shale stability was examined. In comparison to the base mud, the treated mud showed lower Fluid Loss (FL) and higher thermal stability. FL was reduced by 41.8 % and 68 % under Before Hot Rolling (BHR) and After Hot Rolling (AHR) conditions, respectively, with a maximum cake thickness of 1 mm. The Yield Point was improved by 52 % and 66 % under BHR and AHR conditions, respectively. The increase in Plastic Viscosity, and Apparent Viscosity was 23.8 %, and 38 %, respectively. Shale recovery was 99.6 % in g-C3N4 treated fluid compared to 88 % in the base fluid. The treated shale Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and the pore volume were significantly reduced compared to the pure shale, indicating significant plugging of shale nano- and micro-pores. The BET surface area of the g-C3N4 treated shale sample was 0.0405 m2/g compared to pure shale sample's surface area 0.3501 m2/g. Correspondingly, the pore volume of treated shale was 0.000029 cm3/g compared to the pure shale sample's pore volume 0.000911 cm3/g. Therefore, based on the experimental results obtained, it is inferred that the developed g-C3N4 nanomaterial has potential applications in WBM systems for drilling long shale sections.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024172684Drilling fluidsGraphitic carbon nitridePermeability pluggingShale stabilityBET isotherms
spellingShingle Anwar Ahmed
Erum Pervaiz
Iftikhar Ahmed
Tayyaba Noor
Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
Heliyon
Drilling fluids
Graphitic carbon nitride
Permeability plugging
Shale stability
BET isotherms
title Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
title_full Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
title_fullStr Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
title_full_unstemmed Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
title_short Remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic-carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
title_sort remarkable improvement in drilling fluid properties with graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced wellbore stability
topic Drilling fluids
Graphitic carbon nitride
Permeability plugging
Shale stability
BET isotherms
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024172684
work_keys_str_mv AT anwarahmed remarkableimprovementindrillingfluidpropertieswithgraphiticcarbonnitrideforenhancedwellborestability
AT erumpervaiz remarkableimprovementindrillingfluidpropertieswithgraphiticcarbonnitrideforenhancedwellborestability
AT iftikharahmed remarkableimprovementindrillingfluidpropertieswithgraphiticcarbonnitrideforenhancedwellborestability
AT tayyabanoor remarkableimprovementindrillingfluidpropertieswithgraphiticcarbonnitrideforenhancedwellborestability