Investigation on Date Seed Utilization as a pH Enhancer in Drilling Mud Process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1009-5166Keywords:
Date seed ash, pH enhancer, Water-based drilling mud, Rheological propertiesAbstract
This research explores the utilisation of Date seed ash (DSA) derived from dates as a sustainable, eco-friendly substitute for conventional chemical pH enhancers in water-based drilling mud. pH enhancers controls corrosion by increasing the drilling mud pH which prevents the corrosion of drill pipes and casing. The process involved date seed collection, dehydration of date seed, carbonisation and calcination of date seed to produce DSA. SEM and XRF analysis of DSA revealed porous morphology and a rich inorganic composition of different elements having Potassium in abundance (45.29%) making DSA alkaline in nature. Mud properties such as pH and rheology were measured and compared against a baseline mud and water-based drilling mud containing 0.4 g, 0.6 g, 0.8 g and 1 g of NaOH per 35 ml of mud. The results demonstrated that DSA effectively enhanced mud pH from 9.81 to 10.02 maintaining the pH within the optimal alkaline range (8.5-10.5). DSA also enhanced the rheological properties of the drilling mud by reducing the plastic viscosity (11.0 cP-6.0-6.8 cP) and apparent viscosity indicating an improved pumpability while increasing the yield point (4.4 Pa-5.5-7.2 Pa) enhancing hole cleaning capacity. DSA transformed a high progressive gel strength of 2.2 Pa to 45.6 Pa into a better gel strength (6.0 Pa to 12.2 Pa). This research provides a pathway for the petroleum industry to repurpose agricultural waste into a cost effective drilling fluid additive that not only improves mud pH but also improves the rheology enhancing wellbore stability.
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