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Experimental Study of Bio-Based Membrane Enhancers on Shale Through Osmotic Pressure Measurements

  • Research Article-Petroleum Engineering
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Abstract

Knowledge on shale formations which make up almost 70% of the wellbore section is crucial since drilling through shale formations are very problematic. Various mud configurations have been designed to curtail these challenges over the years. One of the approaches in solving this challenge is designing optimum membrane efficient water-based drilling fluids capable of generating high osmotic pressures in shales. A set of integrated experiments have been conducted on selected bio-based plants containing saponin responsible for bio-plants surfactant acting property. The crude extracts containing saponins were used to design a water-based mud and deployed in a series of pore pressure transmission inhibition studies through measurements of membrane efficiency, wettability, and zeta potential analysis measurements. Results indicated that the bio-surfactants can create the much needed high osmotic pressure in shales leading to significantly improved membrane efficiency of the shale of over 80%. The results confirmed the leaky nature of shales as semipermeable membranes and membrane efficiency was found possible to be a function of the saponin concentration. Membrane efficiencies in shales were found to be low with high-permeability shales not showing membrane efficiency at all. Further analysis of the data showed that the flux of ions is a function of the ionic radii, shale permeability, and the cation exchange capacity of the shale. Stability of the shale was sustained to a larger extent by the reduction the drilling fluid water activity ability in creating a high osmotic pressure in shales

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Abbreviations

AE:

Aralia elata

CEC:

Cation exchange capacity

CF:

Cordyline fruitcosa

CGD:

Company given data

CH-CMC:

Cocoa husk carboxymetylcellulose

CMC:

Critical Micelle concentration

CMLC:

Carboxymethyl cellulose

CO:

Chromolaena Odorata

DC:

Dioscorea cayenensis

DIW:

Deionized water

F-CO:

Flower of Chromolaena odorata

ME:

Membrane efficiency

Awdf :

Test fluid water activity

Awsh :

Pore fluid water activity

V :

Partial Molar Volume of Water

PV:

Panicum virgatum

R :

Gas constant

R-CO:

Root of Chromolaena odorata

SBDF:

Synthetically-based drilling fluids

S-PV:

Stem of Panicum virgatum

TG:

Tectona grandis

TT:

Tribulus terrestris

∆P :

Differential pressure in sample shale after attaining equilibrium

T :

Absolute temperature (°K),

LPLT:

Low pressure low temperature

σ :

Membrane efficiency

П:

Ideal osmotic pressure

UCS:

Uniaxial compressive strength

WBDF:

Water-based drilling fluid

HPHT:

High-pressure high temperature

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the support from researchers and technicians from the Geological Department, University of Saskatchewan (UoS), and the Petroleum Research Laboratories of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Grant no. GNPC-PECHAIR-001) for the support given during this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drilling Fluids and Cementing Laboratory, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, PMB, Ghana

    Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey & Caspar Daniel Adenutsi

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, PMB, Ghana

    NanaYaw Asiedu

  3. Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana

    Prosper Anumah

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  1. Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey
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Correspondence to Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey.

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Aggrey, W.N., Asiedu, N., Adenutsi, C.D. et al. Experimental Study of Bio-Based Membrane Enhancers on Shale Through Osmotic Pressure Measurements. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 10917–10931 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-05458-1

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