Centum

Oil-based drilling fluids were initially developed to address the problems of reactive shale, high temperature, contaminants, and stuck pipe issues.

They also control and prevent formation damage and are suitable for drilling through water-sensitive clays. Oil- based drilling muds are in general, more tolerant to high temperatures and pressure than water-based drilling muds, and this allows them to be used in drilling high temperature-high and pressure wells, where water-based muds would break down, lose their viscosity, minimize fluid loss control, and more corrosion sensitive. The non- conductive nature of oils as an external phase offers corrosion control. Oil-based drilling muds are also less susceptible to the growth of bacteria. Despite these advantages, oil- based drilling fluids have many significant disadvantages; it requires lots of attention to make them workable in challenging drilling operations. Emulsifier additives are unique products added to oil-based drilling fluids to address such drawbacks and to ensure emulsion stability of water's internal phase under extreme downhole conditions.

An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are usually immiscible owing to phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. In an emulsion, one liquid called the dispersed phase, is dispersed in another, called the continuous phase. Two liquids can form different types of emulsions. For example, oil and water can form an oil-in-water emulsion, in which the oil is the dispersed phase and water is the continuous phase. Second, they can form a water-in-oil emulsion, in which water is the dispersed phase, and oil is the continuous phase. An emulsion contains both a dispersed and a continuous phase, with the boundary between the phases called the "interface". An emulsifier additive is a substance that stabilizes an emulsion by reducing the oil-water interface tension. Emulsifiers are part of a broader group of chemicals known as surfactants or surface- active agents.

Surfactants are typically amphiphilic chemicals, meaning they have a polar or hydrophilic (i.e., water-soluble) part and a non-polar (i.e., oil-soluble). Emulsifiers that are more soluble in water and less soluble in oil will generally form oil- in-water emulsions, while emulsifiers that are more soluble in oil will form water-in-oil emulsions. However, when an emulsifier is added to the system, the droplets remain dispersed, forming a stable emulsion. An emulsifier consists of a water-loving hydrophilic head and an oil-loving hydrophobic tail. Such emulsifier chemicals are used to maintain an oil or synthetic-based drilling fluid to form a water-in-oil emulsion. An oil- based mud emulsifier lowers the interfacial tension between oil and water, which allows stable emulsions with tiny drops to be formed. Emulsifier additives include calcium fatty- acid soaps made from various fatty acids and their derivatives, such as amides, amines, amido-amines, and imidazolines. Emulsifier additives play a crucial role for oil-based drilling fluids when drilling challenging wells, and they help to achieve the desired mud weight and density, sealing formation pores, etc.

UniBlend

Cetum’s innovative performance-emulsifying additive UniBlend is engineered to offer maximum emulsifying performance for all oil-based drilling fluids. It helps form a stable, rapid emulsion throughout the drilling operation. UniBlend offers high-temperature and pressure tolerance that minimizes evaporation of the contentious and dispersed phase. It also helps to blend the additives uniformly in the contentious phase, which helps to offer maximum drilling fluid performance. Centum’s UniBlend is sustainable, readily and ultimately biodegradable, and non-toxic to fish, animals, and other living species. It also helps to cut down operational costs significantly. UniBlend helps to achieve all the desired performances for any oil-based drilling fluids. At Centum, we custom engineer UniBlend emulsifying additive to meet specific drilling operation needs. All the ingredients in UniBlend are locally sourced and, therefore, offer ultimate quality and performance. When it comes to reliability and performance, drilling engineers and operators can count on us.

Advantage:

Helps create rapid and long stable emulsion for oil-based drilling fluids.
Offers high temperature and pressure stability of the formed emulsion.
Helps to transport valuable additives into the contentious phase throughout the drilling operation.
Helps to create stable and uniform emulsion throughout the contentious phase.
Prevent bacteria and microbe growth in the drilling fluids and throughout the drilling operation.
Improve biodegradability of the oil-based drilling fluid.
Readily and ultimately biodegradable.
Non-toxic to fish, animals, and other living species.
Provide ultimate workplace and worker safety.
Helps to cut down operational costs significantly.