Double protection drilling fluid: Optimization for sandstone-like uranium formation

Nuclear energy, an alternative for fossil fuel, is accompanied by the excavation of uranium ores and in turn the use of drilling fluids. Thus, the objective of this study was to optimize the formula of drilling fluid for sandstone-like uranium formation representing the Xinjiang's Yili Basin uranium formation in China. Additives such as Na2CO3, potassium humate (KHM), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC), and vegetable gum (VG) were introduced to montmorillonite (Mt) slurry to maximize the performance of drilling fluid in terms of rheological behavior and filtration characteristics. Orthogonal testing, soaking test, and pressure-bearing test were conducted to find the optimum formula of drilling fluid. The maximized performance was achieved with a drilling fluid consisting of 4% Mt, 1.6% Na2CO3, 0.1% KHM, 1.5% Na-CMC, and 0.5% VG. The lowest density and water loss, with a sufficiently high viscosity were achieved with this concentration combination of each additive. Soaking and pressure-bearing tests exhibited no visual changes of a specimen treated with the drilling fluid, which confirmed the result of optimization.