Synthesis and Comparative Evaluation of an Eco-Friendly Viscosifier from Empty Elaeis guineensis Bunches for Water-Based Drilling Fluid

ABSTRACT A viscosifier for water-based drilling fluid (WBDF) was developed from empty Elaeis guineensis (Oil palm fruit) bunches. The process of development requires the conversion of cellulose from the oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) polymer and comparing its effectiveness as a viscosifier against a commercial CMC. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results of both viscosifiers, showed the presence of the same functional groups, as indicated by the similar wavenumbers for hydroxyl, carboxyl, methylene, and glycosidic groups present in both. The rheological properties such as plastic viscosity, apparent viscosity, and yield point of the water-based drilling fluids produced from the developed viscosifier and the commercial CMC, exhibited similar trends in their variation with changes in rotational speed and percentage loading. Both water-based drilling fluids showed a steady reduction in apparent viscosity values, as temperatures increased from 40°C to 100°C at 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% loading respectively. However, at 2% loading, there was a large deviation from this trend. Their yield points also showed a steady reduction with increase in temperature for samples of WBDF prepared with OPEFB-based CMC and those prepared with commercial CMC, at all the percentage loading considered. These comparisons, to some extent is an indication of the potential of producing a bio-based viscosifier from empty Elaeis guineensis bunches, which can serve as an alternative to the commercial CMC, for drilling activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Keywords: Cellulose, Rheological, biomass, alkalization, fiber