The Importance and Uses of Drilling Polymers for Enhancing Drilling Mud Properties

Drilling polymers, also known as mud chemicals, are chemical substances used in the drilling process to enhance the properties of the drilling mud. They are added to the drilling mud to improve the fluid’s viscosity, lubricity, and stability. The drilling mud is a vital component in drilling operations as it serves as a coolant, a lubricant, and a medium for transporting drill cuttings to the surface.

Mud Chemicals are technically called Drilling Polymers or Viscosifiers

Drilling polymers are important because they play a critical role in maintaining the stability of the drilling mud. The mud needs to have a certain viscosity level to carry drill cuttings to the surface, and the polymer helps to maintain this consistency. It also reduces friction between the drill bit and the borehole wall, leading to less wear and tear on the equipment.

Drilling polymers also help to reduce the amount of water required in drilling operations by improving the mud’s carrying capacity. This leads to significant cost savings and reduces the environmental impact of drilling operations.

EXAMPLES OF MUD CHEMICAL AND THEIR USES

AMC LIQUI POL™

Also very effective is the AMC LIQUI POL™ is a rapid yielding, high molecular weight polymer in liquid form that provides viscosity without the problems associated with mixing powdered polymers. AMC LIQUI POL™ will help improve core recovery, particularly in clays and shales and highly fractured formations. It provides cuttings encapsulation as well as helping to stabilise the formation.

AMC FLOC DD™ is a specially formulated flocculants designed specifically to promote settlement of fine to colloidal sized drill cuttings in non-dispersed, polymer and low-solids water-based drilling fluid systems. The cationic charge found in…

ALSO READ Wiring of a borehole submersible pump

AMC FLOC DD™ neutralises the surface charges and also attaches to particles causing them to aggregate and form flocs, the flocs then settle quickly when entering the surface pits.

Advantages of AMC LIQUI POL™
• Easily mixed in low shear environments
• Controls sticky clays and inhibits water sensitive, swelling formations
• Promotes effective settling of drilling solids in surface pits
• Reduces rod vibration and torque
• Easily broken down for the development of water wells after setting screens
• Economical to use.

Application of AMC LIQUI POL™
AMC LIQUI POL™ may be used to prepare a solids free drilling fluid system; it exerts similar properties to powder polymers such as AMC CR 650™. It can be used as a single product, low solids fluid, or it can be combined with AMC GEL™ or other polymers such as AMC PAC™ to form a more robust mud system. It can also be used o with other clay and shale stabilisers such as potassium chloride or AMC SHALEHIB ULTRA™ to give a high degree of clay or shale stabilisation, although higher concentrations may be required to maintain viscosity

CHP

Most Drilling Polymers (powder form) also known as (Mud Chemical) is a readily dispersible polymer additive designed to provide shale stabilization in freshwater to saltwater drilling fluids ranging from low solids muds. The Drilling Polymer acts as a viscosifier, and friction reducer, while also providing some fluid-loss control.

Drilling Polymer (powder form) is a readily dispersible polymer additive designed to provide shale stabilization in freshwater to saltwater drilling fluids ranging from low solids muds. The Drilling Polymer acts as a viscosifier, friction reducer, while also providing some fluid-loss control. Drilling Polymer forms a protective polymer film on the drill pipe and bit as well as on the walls of the bore hole which helps to provide lubrication when drilling in troublesome formations. It is ideally suited for use in horizontal directional drilling, water well, mining, and tunneling applications.

ALSO READ The Importance of Float Switches for Borehole Pumps in Ghana's Water Business

Application
Drilling polymer provides cuttings encapsulation and improved wellbore stability in a variety of drilling fluids. It can be used as a single product, low solids mud system.

It is ideally suited for use in horizontal directional drilling, water well, mining, and tunneling applications.

Advantages of CHP Drilling polymer
Readily dispersible and does not form “fish eyes”
Excellent cuttings encapsulation limits cuttings dispersion
Improves shale stabilization
Help prevent balling on the bit, stabilizers, and bottom hole assembly by coating and lubricating solids
Enhances removal of drill solids
Can be used to viscosify clear-water and low-solids drilling fluids

Technical Data:
Appearance: White Powder
Solubility: Soluble in water
PH: 6.0-8.0

Super Mud

There is also the Super Mud. Super Mud and Super Mud Dry are highly concentrated synthetic polymers that are primarily used to create high viscosity slurries which stabilize excavations, maintain hole cleanliness and promote stronger load capacities. Super Mud slurries also simplify the process of slurry mixing, excavating, concrete placement and disposal. These slurries are environmentally friendly and recyclable

It is a liquid polymer slurry which is primarily used as a viscosifying agent and as a soil stabilizer to prevent sloughing and/or collapse of a borehole. Super Mud is far easier to use that any bentonite. 5 Gallons of Super Mud is Equivalent to 1 Ton of Conventional Bentonite.

Super Mud Dry

An environmentally safe synthetic soil stabilizer in granular form which is designed to be used in place of bentonite as drilling fluid. Super Mud Dry has the ability to quickly impart a very high viscosity (100 plus Marsh Funnel Viscosity) and creates fish-eye structures within its body to assist in plugging the walls of the borehole, which reduces fluid loss.

ALSO READ "AIR PASS": Causes of Lost Circulation in Drilling

ADVANTAGES

Easy to mix and requires little or no mixing equipment
• Mixes in either fresh or saltwater
•Increases speed of production
• Reduces wear on tools and equipment
• Controls fluid loss
• Recyclable and reusable
• Lowers disposal costs
• Environmentally friendly

In summary, drilling polymers are essential mud chemicals in drilling operations used to improve drilling mud’s properties such as viscosity, lubricity, and stability. They help to maintain the mud’s carrying capacity and reduce friction, ultimately leading to cost savings and a more sustainable drilling process.