Sulfonated Asphalt Drilling Mud Additive

Sulphonated asphalt is a lost circulation additive and used to plug a zone into which the drilling fluid is being lost, to prevent a complete loss of the drilling fluid is being lost, to prevent loss of the drilling fluid into the formation being drilled, and hence as lost of drilling fluid circulation from the bottom of the drill hole to the top. Sodium sulfonated asphalt is a shale control additive are used to inhibit the swelling and caving of shales caused by hydrous disintegration.

Sulfonated asphalt additive is available in two different forms: Regular and Potassium enhanced. Potassium sulfonated asphalt additive is a specially prepared potassium salt of sulfonated asphalt. Sulfonated Asphalt is sodium asphalt sulfonated made water-soluble by a unique sulfonation process. It is a versatile, total mud conditioner that stabilizes shale formations, significantly increases lubricity, lowers high-temperature high-pressure fluid loss (HTHP) water loss, and enhances filter cake properties in both oil-based drilling fluids and water-based drilling fluids. It appears brown in easy breakable pieces or fluidized powder. Its density is 0.98g/cm3. It’s partly water-soluble partly oil-soluble for every kind of drilling fluid.

Advantages

• Depress the solid expansion of drill chips
• Produce thin and tenacious mud cakes
• Produces thin compressible filter cakes
• Extremely temperature stable – does not have the softening point typically associated with un-reacted asphaltic additives
• Reduces high-temperature gelation and stabilizes mud properties
• Recommended quantity to be added: 1-4%

Usage of sulfonated asphalt

Liquid additives have therefore been developed to overcome some of the problems associated with the use of dry additives. However, liquid compositions containing polyglycols can give rise of stability problems. Sulphonated asphalt is blended of Gilsonite, blown asphalt, lignite, caustic soda, and the mixture of latter compounds.

Technical Data