Synergistic effects of potassium alginate and silicates co-inhibition performance in shale hydration

Shrimp Shell-Derived Chitin Nanofibers as Shale Inhibitors in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

“…Once K + enters the clay crystal layer, it is difficult to be released, leading to a more closely knit crystal layer. However, cationic intercalation can also cause flocculation and flow of clay particles, reducing electrostatic repulsion and compressing the double electric layer, resulting in poor rheological properties and filtration performance of the drilling fluid. ,, …”

“…However, cationic intercalation can also cause flocculation and flow of clay particles, reducing electrostatic repulsion and compressing the double electric layer, resulting in poor rheological properties and filtration performance of the drilling fluid. 11,52,53 After aging at 120 °C for 16 h, as the concentration of KCl, T-ChNFs, and DT-ChNFs increases from 0 to 2 wt %, AV and YP increase simultaneously from 6.5 mPa•s and 0.5 Pa to 9/ 34/75.5 mPa•s and 6/25/58.5 Pa, respectively. After aging, DT-ChNF/BT-WDFs still exhibit higher AV and YP than KCl/BT-WDFs and T-ChNF/BT-WDFs, suggesting the superior aging resistance of DT-ChNFs over KCl and T-ChNFs.…”

“…The main causes of clay swelling include osmotic swelling and surface hydration. Therefore, the inhibition of shale swelling should be approached from the perspectives of osmotic and surface inhibition mechanisms. ,, In WDFs, shale inhibitor stands out as one of the most important additives to ensure safe and efficient drilling. They can effectively inhibit clay swelling and dispersion, significantly reducing the risks of wellbore instability.…”

“…However, these polymer inhibitors often have short potencies, high toxicity, poor temperature and salt resistance, and inadequate compatibility with WDFs. Under high-temperature conditions, the interaction between the polymer molecular chain and montmorillonite weakens, resulting in incomplete inhibition of shale hydration. ,,, Moreover, similar to the restricted use of ODF because of environmental problems, the use of high concentrations of synthetic polymer inhibitors has been reduced in recent years . The complex chemical components in polymer inhibitors can cause irreversible damage to the soil, threatening the ecological balance .…”