Qinglin Wu, a researcher in the LSU AgCenter School of Renewable Natural Resources, holds a container of nanocellulose that can be used to enhance the properties of drilling fluid for oil and gas exploration. (Photo by Rick Bogren, LSU AgCenter)

News Release Distributed 05/22/15

BATON ROUGE, La – An LSU AgCenter scientist has received more than $187,500 for research to develop smart drilling fluids used in oil and gas exploration with more efficiency and greater efficacy.

Qinglin Wu, the Roy O. Martin Sr. Endowed Professor in Composites/Engineered Wood Products in the AgCenter School of Renewable Natural Resources, is using nanoparticles made of cellulose to improve the viscosity and filtration properties of drilling fluids, also known as drilling muds, for use in drilling for oil and natural gas among other applications.

The funds include $147,510 from the Louisiana Board of Regents Industrial Ties Research Subprogram along with $40,000 in matching funds from a group of oil service companies.

Industry is searching for environmentally benign chemicals, polymers and natural products that are physically small, chemically and thermally stable, and biodegradable, Wu said.

“Nanomaterials are considered the most promising materials of choice for smart fluid design for oil and gas field operations,” he said.

Wu is using nanocellulose as an additive to water-based muds made of bentonite clay, which is used in drilling to lubricate and cool the drill bit and bring rock cuttings out of the drilling hole. Wu’s process adds nanocellulose to reduce drag in drilling and to increase the capacity of the mud to carry rock cuttings.

Nanocellulose is cellulose from trees and plants broken down to the level of molecules, Wu said. Its lightweight, high-strength and chemical compatibility properties are well suited to drilling muds.

When added to the bentonite, the nanocellulose modifies the viscosity of the mud, helping reduce the drag on the drill bit while the drill is operating and adding to the mud’s capacity to hold rock cuttings when the drilling stops.

The nanoparticles stay in the mud when the cuttings are removed so the system works in a closed loop, Wu said. It also helps control loss of the drilling fluid by reducing its ability to flow into rock formations and fissures.

Wu is working with laboratory-scale equipment to refine the process of developing a water-based, low-cost process that can be applied in the oil and gas drilling industry.

The funding from the Board of Regents requires matching funding from the private sector to support research that can directly benefit Louisiana business or industry for economic development. Industry partners are providing Wu with money and in-kind materials to meet the requirement.