Evaluation of Activated Carbon from Coconut Husk as Standard pH Enhancer for Drilling Mud Formulation
1Okologume Chinedu Wilfred & 2Asaboro Jefferson
1,2Department of Petroleum Engineering,
Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Nigeria
Email: 1okologume.wilfred@fupre.edu.ng, 2asajeffry13@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
In Nigeria oil and gas industry drilling operations, most of the chemicals used as pH controller are usually imported at an exorbitant price – which take a large part of the drilling/well cost and have ripple effect on the
economy of the drilling companies. This study nonetheless focuses on investigating the suitability of locally sourced materials as pH enhancer in a drilling mud program. A high pH is desirable to suppress corrosion
rate, hydrogen embrittlement and the solubility of Ca2+ and Mg2+ which makes up clay. In addition, the organic viscosity control additives benefit from the high pH.). In order to minimize drilling cost andnmaximize profit, locally made additives is being investigated to supplement the imported additives. Activated carbon from coconut husk is being envisaged for use as a pH enhancer because it is environmentally friendly in that it is degradable and has no adverse effect on the formation properties.
Nevertheless, the result from the experiment conducted in this study revealed that the local additives imparted significant pH unit of 13.0 in the drilling mud when compared to the foreign addictive such as sodium hydroxide which gave 13.5. Also, from the cost/benefit analysis, the cost of formulating laboratory barrel of drilling mud using the foreign pH additive was $ 7.15, while the cost of same volume using local additive (coconut husk) was $ 6.175, the use of local additives would save a minimum of $ 0.975.
Keywords: pH, drilling cost, profit, coconut husk, drilling mud, local additives
