Manufacture of drilling fluids from grapphenne materials

Researchers at Rice University in the United States have been able to produce efficient, environmentally-friendly drilling fluids from graphene.

The results of this study were published in December 2011 in the American Journal of Applied Materials and Interfaces.

The scientists can claim to be able to take advantage of the lightweight and dissolving properties of graphene to improve the drilling fluid commonly used for drilling wells.

The main functions of the drilling fluid (increasing viscosity, boring drilling, faster cooling and dust control) are injected into the well as part of the process to keep the drill clean and humid. drill out the hole. With the addition of traditional clay ingredients, to increase viscosity, control pressure, maintain stability into wells, keep oil spills out and help drill drilling into the material holes. tiny inside drill rod.

"The graphene oxide solution we have produced has the effect of reducing the congestion in the holes (oil production) of the tiny material inside the drilling rig in the new well , " says James Tour, He works at Rice University, USA and works at MI SWACO, a drilling fluids supplier and a wholly owned subsidiary of Schlumberger Texas.

Graphene is a 1-atom-sized, carbon-free carbon plate that was discovered to be awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010.