An environmentally friendly water -based drilling fluid applicable in Iranian oil fields

In drilling operations the prosperity of a drilling process mainly depends on rheological properties and filtration behavior of drilling fluids. This study aims to examine the effect of potato starch on the rheological and filtration properties of bentonite-based muds. Four distinctive mud formulations were prepared and their rheological characteristics determined using a Fann viscometer. Rheological data were well described by the Herschel- Bulkley model while statistic analysis proved the goodness of fit process. Moreover,Starch addition provided very good filtration control In conclusion, the results confirmed that starch could highly improve the bentonite-based mud rheological properties and control API fluid loss.

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Keywords: Drilling Fluid , Bentonite , Starch-Rheological Properties , Fluid Loss