Development and Evaluation of a Sustainable Oil-Based Mud from Raphia Palm Seeds

Abstract The environmental challenges associated with oil-based drilling fluids, along with the evolving legislation governing their use, have sparked an innovative shift towards the development of synthetic organic liquids. These alternatives not only meet the technical demands of the industry but also align with environmental standards, paving the way for more sustainable drilling practices. Raphia palm (Raphia hookeri) seed oil (ester oil) was utilized to formulate an eco-friendly vegetable oil-based drilling mud. The oil was extracted using the Soxhlet apparatus, distilled to remove solvents, and incorporated into drilling mud formulations with additives such as bentonite and barite. The mud properties were tested at varying temperatures, both before and after hot rolling, and compared with diesel-based mud. Results showed that Raphia palm seed oil (RPSO) mud demonstrated compatibility with conventional additives, higher density (8.58 ppg) compared to diesel-based mud (8.32 ppg), and promising rheological properties. Although RPSO mud initially had a low pH (10.1) due to the oil's pH (9.4), additives can help improve this. RPSO mud also exhibited lower viscosity, indicating reduced flow resistance, and was less toxic than diesel-based mud. Despite higher initial conditioning costs, RPSO mud's lower disposal costs provided significant savings (~38%). The study confirms that RPSO mud is a technically viable and environmentally safer alternative to diesel-based mud, with the potential to meet industry standards for drilling operations. This study advances environmentally friendly procedures in the oil and gas industry.