No abstract

The search for new formulations of lubricating additives in drilling fluids is constant, due to the need of the oil and gas industry to improve products and processes and preserve the ecosystem, contributing to the sustainable development. The use of microemulsions in the upstream phase is increasing, mainly in the area of advanced oil recovery, but innovative in the area of oil well drilling. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize biodegradable microemulsions and of low production costs for application as a lubricant additive for water-based drilling fluids. For this purpose, the following were carried out: a) stability test on microemulsions and additive drilling fluids; b) particle size testing in the microemulsions; c) turbidity point test, in order to evaluate the microemulsion behavior regarding temperature; and d) lubricity test of microemulsions, proposed lubricant and additive drilling fluids. The lubricity results found were satisfactory, showing that the microemulsified systems evaluated can be applied as biodegradable lubricant additives in water-based drilling fluids for oil well drilling, causing less environmental impact.

Over time, oil production in a reservoir tends to decrease, which makes it difficult to flow through the reservoir to the well, making its production increasingly difficult and costly. Due to their physical properties, such as reducing the water/oil interfacial tension, surfactants have been used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, however, their adsorption presents as an undesirable and inevitable factor and can decrease the efficiency of the method. This work’s main objective is to evaluate the effect of glycerol in the adsorption of surfactants in sandstones, as well as in the recovery factor during EOR. Brine solutions containing the nonionic surfactant saponified coconut oil (SCO), with and without glycerol, were used in the adsorption and oil recovery tests in sandstone. Adsorption, recovery, rheological, and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out. Regarding the surfactant/glycerol/brine solution, there was an improvement in the oil mobility, as the glycerol contributed to an increase in the viscosity of the solution, thereby increasing the sweep efficiency. The recovery factor obtained for the surfactant solution with glycerol was satisfactory, being 53% higher than without glycerol, because it simultaneously provided an increase in viscosity and a decrease in interfacial tension, both of which are beneficial for the efficiency of the process.

As buscas por otimizar o processo de produção de petróleo têm sido constantes ao redor do mundo, tendo visto que os métodos primários possuem um fator de recuperação de apenas 15%. O uso de tensoativos proporciona um aumento significativo na recuperação de óleo nos poços de petróleo. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma prospecção tecnológica de tensoativos para indústria petroquímica, analisando a participação do Brasil nos depósitos de pedido de patente em bases nacionais e internacionais até o momento. Para isso, a prospecção foi realizada no banco Latino Americano e Espanhol, no banco da Organização Mundial de Propriedades Intelectual, no banco Europeu de Patentes, no banco Americano de Marcas e Patentes e no banco de dados do Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial do Brasil. O maior número de patentes no banco nacional foi depositado nos últimos 10 anos. Dentre os maiores depositários estão os Estados Unidos e a China.

No abstract

This study aimed to obtain ceramic filters with bactericidal action for water disinfection. For this, aqueous suspensions of montmorillonite K10 clay were prepared at concentrations of 48%, 50%, and 52%. Later, these were impregnated into polymeric sponges in order to form the ceramic skeletons by using the replica technique. The ceramic filters were submerged in nickel resins doped with 0.25 and 0.50 mol% silver. These resins were obtained by the Pechini method and heat-treated at 600 and 700 ºC for 2 h. Moreover, techniques such as X-ray diffraction, particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, compressive strength, water absorption, and apparent porosity were used to characterize the filters, and their performance was analyzed by a bactericidal test. The bactericidal test results showed that the filters impregnated with the resin containing 0.50 mol% of silver promoted the total elimination of the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.

In the cementing operation, it is necessary that the entire circumference of the annular is filled by the cement slurry and that it develops adhesion to the casing and formation. For this, an efficient removal of the drilling fluid is necessary, which requires that its chemical composition is compatible with that of the cement slurry. The objective of this work is to formulate a drilling fluid in a micro emulsified system and test its compatibility with the cement slurry to assess the effects that an unwanted contamination can have on the properties of the slurry. In the compatibility test, the rheological properties and the compressive strength of cement slurry contaminated with drilling fluid in different volumetric proportions were evaluated. The compressive strength of the cement slurry was determined, and the loads that the paste supports were checked. The compatibility test showed no visual changes in the properties of the slurry, although, after the addition of the drilling fluid, there was a decrease in the compressive strength.

Oil well cleanup fluids (pre-flushes) are intermediate fluids pumped ahead of the cement slurry; they are able to clean the well walls by removing the filter cake formed by the drilling fluid, and leave the surface water-wet. This work’s main objective was to use biodegradable microemulsion systems as cleanup fluids in order to reduce the environmental impact. Three microemulsion systems were formulated, each composed of an oil phase, a surfactant and three different aqueous phases: glycerol, glycerol:water (mass ratio 1:1), and fresh water. The results show that all microemulsion systems were effective with 100% filter cake removal, with a removal time of less than 60 s. The wettability test and fluid compatibility analyses exhibited advantageous performances, without phase separation, variations in viscosity, gelation, or flocculation. The compressive strength and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analysis showed the influence of the glycerol on the cement slurry properties, with the compressive strength resistance ranging from 8.0 to 10.7 MPa, and resulted in the formation of portlandite.