Improving Chemical and Physical Properties of Water-Based Drilling Mud Using Hematite and Sponge Iron in Comparison

In this study, API mud standard materials and rheological data were used to compare the properties of hematite and sponge iron in drilling mud. Drilling fluids are complicated fluids that have many different substances in them. These additives are used to control and improve the rheology of drilling fluids, like how heavy they are and how thick the mud is. Using a variable speed mixer, mud balance device, viscometer, pH meter, and mud filtration device, iron ore plates were crushed according to API ۱۳-A specifications and utilized as a density increase parameter to the drilling mud by measuring rheological properties like mud weight, plastic viscosity, yield point, pH, and filtration, and comparing them to rheological properties of samples of sponge iron drilling mud in ۱۰% and ۱۵%. This research gives a full statistical analysis of hematite and sponge iron as different weighting agents in drilling fluids that are based on water. API standards were used to make experimental formulations with additive concentrations of ۰%, ۱۰%, and ۱۵%. Each formulation was tried three times. Two-way ANOVA showed that additive type and concentration had statistically significant effects on all tested properties (p < ۰.۰۰۱). Because it has a higher specific gravity (۵.۷ g/cm³ vs. ۵.۱ g/cm³), sponge iron had ۲۳.۶% better density efficiency (۰.۰۰۸۱۵ ppg/% concentration vs. ۰.۰۶۵۹ ppg/% concentration). This was a benefit, but it was cancelled out by much more fluid loss (۴۶.۰ ± ۱.۵ mL vs. ۴۲.۰ ± ۱.۲ mL at ۱۵% concentration, p < ۰.۰۵) and thicker filter cakes (۴.۱ ± ۰.۱۸ mm vs. ۳.۵ ± ۰.۱۵ mm, p < ۰.۰۵). A linear regression analysis showed the trade-off: sponge iron saves about ۱۹% of the material needed for the same density, but it loses ۹.۵% more fluid per unit density. The porous microstructure of sponge iron (confirmed by SEM) explains both its rheological and filtering flaws. These results give us a way to choose the best weighting agent based on the needs of the formation and the cost factors that matter.

کلیدواژه ها:

Drilling fluid ، Weighting agents ، Hematite ، Sponge iron ، rheology ، Filtration control ، statistical analysis ، Cost-performance optimization