Analysis of Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima)Seed Oil as Drilling Fluid Agent

Abstract

The work presented in this paper is focused on the production of oil base mud using Pride of 
Barbados seed oil. Oil was extracted from the Pride of Barbados seed for drilling fluid 
formulation. In this Study the need for sourcing of local drilling additive to reduce our cost of 
importation in our economy and address the problem of stability by the application of mud 
additives. Pride of Barbados seed Oil, which is derived from the (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima)
seeds oil, will serve as additive for oil-based mud that will promote local content. Pride of 
Barbados seed were collected from Rivers State University (RSU) and transported to the 
Department of Petroleum engineering laboratory, the outer skin was first removed, washed, 
dried for 3 weeks and was ground locally, sieved with 75micron size, then weight out 450g into 
a thimbles and was placed into extraction chamber. About 600mls of solvent was used and 
temperature at 600
c and POBO oil produced was 500ml, 350ml POBO was compared with 
350mls of Diesel Oil with API standard for the mud formulation. The samples were formulated 
with 350ml of oil as a continuous phase, Barite 76%, bentonite 2.8g, and other additives. The 
physiochemical properties, rheological properties, sand content, pH, filtration properties and 
cutting carrying index (CCL) of the formulated mud samples were tested and compared. The 
Pride of Barbados influence its Density as (914kg.m3
) and viscosity (16cp) higher than API 
standard oil based mud with density as 900kg/m3
, viscosity (8.9cp), also with their high flash 
points proving their resistant capacity. The rheological behavior of the samples was 
characterized, Pride of Barbados seed oil had higher mud densities, low sand content, pH levels 
within the required range, less filtrate volumes, less mud cake thickness and higher CCl. The 
preliminary tests result indicates that Pride of Barbados seed oil will serve as Oil -based mud 
additive in accordance with API standard, also can become the reference for this vegetable 
OBM development which is very potential due to its environmentally friendly.