EFFICIENCY OF USING SODIUM POLYACRYLATE IN DRILLING MUD

Acrylic polymers have been used in the oil industry since the 1970s, and are considered to be highly effective as filtration reducers. Subsequently, the influence of various homologues of this series, as well as molecular weight, on various aspects of drilling mud functionality was revealed. After the USSR collapse in 1991, the research base in the field of acrylic polymer synthesis was lost, and a number of developments were never brought to industrial production, which competitors took advantage of and filled the resulting vacuum. A stream of imported acrylic polymers poured into the newly formed Russian market in various industries, gradually replacing domestic ones. Currently, with the introduction of sanctions, access to reagents is limited. The article presents the results of studies on the use of sodium polyacrylate with a molecular weight of up to 20,000 g/mol for modifying drilling mud. The effect of the molecular weight of sodium polyacrylate and its dosage on the filtration rate of drilling mud is studied. It has been established that the use of sodium polyacrylate as a reagent for regulating the filtration rate of drilling mud allows for drilling mud optimization. Minimum dosages to ensure the required value of the filtration index level have been determined.