A nano-particle based approach to improve filtration control of water based muds under high pressure high temperature conditions

There have been many attempts to improve the filtration control of water based muds under High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) condition using a cost effective approach. Nano particles are perhaps the best option considering their successful applications reported in many studies. However, they are often expensive and pose unfavourably changes on the rheology of the muds. In this paper, an attempt was made to show the application of Nano Glass Flakes (NGFs) as a cheap but effective nano particle to control the filtration of water based muds under HPHT conditions. Performing a series of rheology, filtration and conductivity tests on the mud samples with unmodified NGFs revealed that this nano particle increases the mud rheology, yield point and gel strength of the mud with a slight impact on the filtration loss. However, by modifying the surface charges of NGFs with a cationic surfactant, filtration loss was significantly reduced without any severe impacts on the mud rheology. Considering the conductivity of the mud which increases by adding the modified NGF, this nano particle might be a good choice to improve the overall performance of water based muds under HPHT conditions.