Effect of nanoparticles on the modifications of drilling fluids properties: A review of recent advances

Production from unconventional hydrocarbon resources, such as shale gas, shale oil, deepwater and arctic reservoirs requires advanced drilling and extraction technologies. Furthermore, minimizing the environmental footprints associated with oil recovery processes are critical. Nanotechnology has been shown promising solutions to overcome such issues in oil and gas industry. Many studies have been conducted to analyse the enhancement of drilling fluids through the use of nanotechnology. In these studies modification of rheological, filtration, and heat transfer properties and friction reduction associated with drilling fluids have been investigated. They also showed that nanoparticles can improve fluid thermal stability, provide better lubricity, hole cleaning and wellbore stability, and mitigate hydrates formation within the fluid circulation system. This manuscript aims to analyse the outcomes of these studies and improvements that were observed for the application of nanoparticles in drilling fluids. This review provides the investigators with a detailed overview and comparison of the recent advancements in the field of drilling fluids and nanotechnology.