Organically modified layered magnesium silicates to improve rheology of reservoir drilling fluids

Petroleum well drilling fluids are one of the most significant constituents in the subterranean drilling processes to meet an increasing global demand for oil and gas. Drilling fluids experience exceptional wellbore conditions, e.g. high temperature and high pressure that adversely affect the rheology of these fluids. Gas and oil well drilling operations have to adjourn due to changes in fluid rheology, since the drilling fluids may lose their effectiveness to suspend heavy particles and to carry drilled cuttings to the surface. The rheological properties of drilling fluids can be controlled by employing viscosifiers that should have exceptional stability in downhole environments. Here, we have developed next-generation viscosifiers—organically modified magnesium silicates (MSils)—for reservoir drilling fluids where organic functionalities are directly linked through the Si–C bond, unlike the industry’s traditional viscosifier, organoclay, that has electrostatic linkages. The successful formation of covalently-linked hexadecyl and phenyl functionalized magnesium silicates (MSil-C16 and MSil-Ph) were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Identical drilling fluid formulations were designed for comparison using MSils and a commercial viscosifier. The rheological properties of fluids were measured at ambient conditions as well as at high temperatures (up to 150 °C) and high pressure (70 MPa). Owing to strong covalent linkages, drilling fluids that were formulated with MSils showed a 19.3% increase in yield point (YP) and a 31% decrease in apparent viscosity (AV) at 150 °C under 70 MPa pressure, as compared to drilling fluids that were formulated with traditional organoclay. The higher yield point and lower apparent viscosity are known to facilitate and increased drilling rate of penetration of the fluids and an enhanced equivalent circulation density (ECD), the dynamic density condition, for efficient oil and gas wells drilling procedures.