Nanoparticle-based cutting fluids in drilling: a recent review

The successful operations in the field of drilling requires high quality of the drilling fluids. The nanoparticle-based materials can be used in a variety of ways in the oilfield such as drilling fluids to enhance the efficiency of system. Drilling fluids play crucial role during the drilling operations. Nanoparticles (NPs) depict significant performance in the enhancement of the drilling fluid properties. The current manuscript summarizes the various types of nano-based drilling fluids for drilling operations. Nano-based drilling fluids are a new kind of fluids that are used to enhance the performance of working fluids. Graphene-based drilling fluids, carbon nanotube–based drilling fluid, and nanocellulose and its derivative-based drilling fluids investigated by various researchers are summarized in this review. Different reviews have been published on nano-based drilling fluids in literature, but few studies reported on nanoparticle-based fluids in drilling industry. Therefore, this review especially highlights the recent advances of nanoparticle-based fluids in drilling fluid system. The thermal conductivity, density, viscosity, and specific heat capacity of the nano-based drilling fluids are also critically discussed in this manuscript. Finally, this review indicates some future directions about nano-based drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration which will also give direction to young researchers to explore new kinds of drilling fluids in the drilling field. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.).