A study of the properties of drilling fluids containing certain natural organic colloids of Iranian origin

157 Pages·06.719 MB·English

by  Tchillingarian, George

A STUDY OF THE PROPERTIES OF DRILLING FLUIDS
CONTAINING CERTAIN NATURAL ORGANIC COLLOIDS
OF IRANIAN ORIGIN
A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Petroleum Engineering
The University of Southern California
In P artial Fulfillm ent
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering
by
George Tchillingarian
June 1950
UMI Number: EP63278
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This thesis, written by
...................G-EOEGE. TCHILLIEG-AEIM.
under the guidance of h.la— Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill­
ment of the requirements for the degree of
........................MS.™._0?..SCIMCE_.EM...........................
..........................
Date jJjma.JLS50......................
Faculty Committee
Chairfritta n
....
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The investigator is greatly indebted to Dr. D. H.
Larsen, manager of Research and Development of the Barold
Sales Division, und.er whose direction th is investigation
was undertaken, and whose help and c ritic a l advice were in­
valuable in carrying i t to completion.
The investigator would like to express his apprecia­
tion to the Baroid Sales Division fo r the use of their
laboratory and m aterials in some instances. The help ex­
tended by the men of Barold Laboratory is also greatly ap­
preciated.
G-eorge Tchillingarian
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 1
The problem ................................................................... 2
Statement of the problem ................................... 2
Importance of the study.......................................... 2
Organization of the thesis........................................ 3
An outline of the contents of thet hesis. 3
Method of procedure ................................................. 4
V iscosity .................................................................... 4
Gel strength .......................................................... 4
Water loss ............................................................... 4
Foaminess .................................................................... 5
D efinitions .................................................................... 5
Peptize ......................................................................... 5
II. CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL ORGANIC COLLOIDS
(GUMS) .............................................................................. 6
III. THE OCCURRENCE AND ORIGIN OF GUMS IN PLANTS
AND THEIR CHEMISTRY ................................................. 13
Occurrence and origin of gums ......................... 13
Chemistry of gums ..................................................... 15
IV. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GUMS . . 24
Physical properties ................................................. 24
Color and form ..................................................... 24
i i i
CHAPTER PAGE
Taste and smell ..................................................... 26
Hardness and d e n s i t y .................................. 26
Polarization ............................................................... 27
Solubility ............................................................... 27
Chemical properties ................................................ 28
V. COLLOIDAL BEHAVIOR OF THE G-UMS AHD THE
THEORY BEHIND THE CONTROL OF FILTRATION
CHARACTERISTICS OF MUDS BY USE OF GUMS . . 30
Colloidal behavior of the g u m s ............... 30
Viscosity .................................................................... 31
Surface tension ..................................................... 33
Foaming ........................................................................ 3^
Effect of the colloidal state of the mud-
water loss ................................................* . 36
Symptoms of sa lt c o n ta m in a tio n ........... 37
Theory behind the control of filtra tio n
characteristics of muds by use of gums • 37
VI. IMPERMEX AND DRISCOSE............................................ AO
Starch ............................................................................. Ad
Impermex muds ............................................................... Al
Red lime base Impermex mud ............................. A2
Effect of Impermex on various muds . . . . A3
D r i s c o s e .................................................................... A9
VII. TRAGACANTH G U M .......................................................... 53
iv
CHAPTER PAGE
Botanical and geographical sources . . . . 53
Collection ............................................ . . . . . 5^
Grading and marketing ....................................... 55
Chemistry of gum tragacanth ............................. 56
Effect of gum tragacanth on various
d rillin g flu id s ..................................................... 58
P ossibility of using gum tragacanth
instead of starch in high pH mud . . . 59
Straight water-gum mud ....................................... 59
VIII. GUMS KARAYA, GHATTI AND SHIRAZ............................. 66
Gum Karaya .................................................... 66
Viscosity .................................................................... 08
Effect of gum Karaya on different muds . 69
Gum G h a t t i ......................................................................... 69
Chemistry of gum ghatti .................................. 72
Effect of gum ghatti on different d rillin g
flu id ......................................................................... 72
P o ssibility of using gum ghatti instead
of starch in high pH m u d ............................. 75
Gum Shiraz .................................................................... 75
Effect of gum Shiraz on various d rillin g
fluids .................................................................... 75
P ossib ility of using gum Shiraz Instead
of starch in high pH mud ......................... 83
V
CHAPTER PAGE
IX. LOCUST BEAN AMD QUINCE SEED ................................... 85
The hem icelluloses: locust bean gum and
quince seed ............................................................... 85
Locust bean gum and locust kernel gum . . 86
Chemistry of locust bean gum .................... 88
The effect of locust bean seed on various
d rillin g fluids ................................................. 89
P ossib ility of using locust bean seed
instead of starch in high pH mud . . 91
Quince seed .................................................................... 91
Chemistry of quince seed ............................. 97
Effect of quince seed on various muds . 100
P ossib ility of using quince seed instead
of starch in high pH m u d ............................. 100
X. GUM ARABIC AND OTHER IRANIAN GUMS .................... 108
Gum a r a b l e ......................................................................... 108
Effect of gum arable on different muds . 109
Other Persian g u m s ..................................................... 109
Kutira g u m .................................................................... 112
P e n a e a .............................................................................. 112
Ketirah-i-arJen . . . . . ............................. 112
Baluchistan gum ..................................................... 113
XI. EFFECT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE ON MUDS TREATED
WITH DIFFERENT GUMS ................................................. 114
Vi
CHAPTER PAGE
Results .............................................................................. 115
XII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................. 119
Summary .............................................................................. 119
Conclusions .................................................................... 120
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 130
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................... 132
A. Identification of gums .................................................... 133
Preparation of reagents ............................ . • 133
B. F o a m s .................................................................................... 1^0
Origin and mechanismo f foam formation . . 140
Gibb’s law of surface concentration . . . 142
Breaking of foams .................................................... 1^3
Note ....................................................................................... 144
LIST OF TABLES
PAGE
Complete List, of Iranian G u m s............................. 11
Composition of the G u m s........................................... 18
Effect of Impermex on D ifferent Muds . . . k6
Effect of Driscose on Different Muds . . . 51
Buffer Action in Tragacanth G-els .................... 57
Effect of Gum Tragacanth on Different Muds . 62
Effect of G-um Karaya on Different Muds . . 70
Effect of G-um G-hatti on Various Muds . . . 76
Effect of G-um Shiraz on Different Muds . . 79
Effect of Locust Bean Seed on Various Muds . 93
Composition of Quince Seed Extracts . . . . 99
Effect of Quince Seed on Different Muds . . 105
Effect of G-um Arabic on Different Muds . . 111
Variation in Water Loss with Temperature
of 1 per cent Brine Mud (7*5 per cent
Wilmington Slough +■ 1/2 per cent Para­
formaldehyde) Treated with Different
G-ums ................................................................................... 116
Effect of Different Gums (1.2 grams/100
c.c. Mud) on Saturated Brine Mud per
cent Zeogel) . . . ................................................. 121