Characterisation of Iron Ore from Opon-Mansi in Ghana and its Potential as a Weighting Agent in a Water-Based Mud

E. Broni-Bediako, D. Ocran, R. T. Johnson, S. K. Larweh

Abstract


Oil and gas resources are in deeper formations, and drilling into such formations necessitates the use of well-designed drilling mud with appropriate rheological qualities to prevent or minimise related drilling issues. Therefore, mud engineers utilise additives or chemicals to alter drilling mud properties to achieve the desired results for drilling. This study sought to characterise iron ore from Opon-Mansi in Ghana and assess its potential as a weighting agent in water-based mud formulation. X-Ray Diffractometer, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and specific gravity tests were conducted to characterise the iron ore. The standard procedures recommended by API RP13B-1 were followed to determine the density, rheological properties as well as fluid loss of the formulated samples. Separate drilling muds were formulated by varying the concentration of iron ore and barite to attain the same mud weight ranging between 9.0 ppg to 13 ppg at 77 0F (25 0C) and 104 0F (40 0C). The results showed that the Opon-Mansi iron ore contains FeOOH (Goethite) which is a hydrous form of hematite (Fe2O3) with lower specific gravity compared with the imported barite. The pH of the iron ore (hematite) mud samples decreased with increasing mud weight while that of barite mud samples increased with increasing mud weight. The rheological values of the hematite were higher than that of imported barite and produced a higher filtrate and thicker mud cake.

 

Keywords: Apparent Viscosity, Barite, Hematite, Plastic Viscosity, Yield Point


Keywords


Apparent Viscosity; Barite; Hematite; Plastic Viscosity; Yield Point

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References


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