Caracterization of drilling fluid by adding natural product

Abstract

This study investigates the use of natural additives—namely cellulose nanofibers (CNF), flaxseed gel, and shea gel—as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional synthetic polymers in water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). CNF was extracted from wheat straw through alkaline treatment, bleaching, and ultrasonication. Flaxseed and shea gels were prepared using hot water extraction and cold soaking, respectively. The rheological and filtration properties of WBDFs containing these additives at concentrations of 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% were evaluated and compared with polyanionic cellulose (PAC) at 1% and 2%. Results showed that CNF at 0.5% achieved an apparent viscosity of 50–58 cP and reduced API filtrate volume to 4–6 mL, outperforming PAC at 2% (45–50 cP and 5–7 mL). Synergistic combinations of CNF and flaxseed gel exhibited up to 55% improvement in gel strength. Natural additives demonstrated comparable or superior performance to PAC at significantly lower concentrations, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for drilling fluid formulations