Xanthan gum is widely used in the oil and gas industry
Applications in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
- Optimizing drilling fluid performance
- Thickening and suspending: Xanthan gum can significantly increase the viscosity of drilling fluid. At a low concentration of 0.1% - 0.4%, it can effectively suspend cuttings and solid particles, preventing them from settling and blocking the wellbore, thus ensuring the cleanliness of the well bottom.
- Reducing fluid loss and protecting the wellbore: It can form a dense filter cake to reduce the fluid loss of drilling fluid and stabilize the wellbore to avoid collapse, especially suitable for easily collapsed formations such as high - salt layers and permafrost.
- Adapting to complex environments
- Salt and temperature resistance: Xanthan gum remains stable in saturated salt solutions and at high temperatures (such as 85°C), making it suitable for scenarios such as marine high - salt oil fields and geothermal development.
- Shear - thinning property: It has high viscosity when static, which ensures the ability to carry cuttings. When in motion (such as at the high - speed drill bit), the viscosity drops sharply, reducing energy consumption and improving the drilling efficiency.
- Improving economic benefits and safety
- Reducing operation risks: It can reduce accidents such as blowouts and pipe sticking, extend the life of drill bits, and reduce maintenance costs.
- Increasing recovery rate: As a tertiary oil recovery flooding agent, it can improve the permeability of oil reservoirs, reduce dead oil areas, and increase the crude oil recovery rate.
- Having environmental protection and compatibility
- Biodegradability: Compared with synthetic polymers, xanthan gum is more easily degraded, reducing pollution to reservoirs and the environment.
Recommended Addition Levels
- The addition amount of xanthan gum in the oil and gas extraction industry varies according to specific situations. Generally, in drilling fluids, the addition amount is usually in the range of 0.1% - 0.4%. For example, in some special high - temperature and high - salt environments, the addition amount may be appropriately increased. In the preparation of some muds for oil well drilling and reconstruction, the addition amount of xanthan gum is about 2 - 5 kg/m³. In addition, in some oil - based drilling fluid systems, the addition amount of xanthan gum may be 0.25 - 2.0 lb/bbl.