HEC for Oil Drilling

1.Brief Introduction

HEC is produced from cellulose, which reacts with sodium hydroxide to form basic cellulose colloid. And then the ethylene oxide and other chemicals are added into the reaction to get etherification. By controlling the production parameters, the Hydroxyethyl cellulose is produced.

HEC is a white or light yellow powder, non-toxic, tasteless, can be quickly dissolved into hot or cool water, insoluble in general organic solvent, with excellent character of thickening, dispersing, emulsifying, adhesion, stabilizing, water retention and film forming. Also can be used as a protective colloid in some products. It can be widely used in oil drilling, coatings, food, textile, building and macromolecule polymerization, etc.

2.Parameter:

3. HEC for Oil Drilling

HEC has viscosifying properties in processing and filling slurries. It helps provide a nice low solids mud with minimal damage to the wellbore.

Slurries thickened with HEC are easily degraded into hydrocarbons by acids, enzymes or oxidants and can maximize oil recovery.

In fractured mud, HEC can play the role of carrying mud and sand. These fluids can also be easily degraded by the above acids, enzymes or oxidizing agents.

HEC can be used to formulate ideal low-solids drilling fluids, which provide greater permeability and better drilling stability. Its fluid-suppressing properties can be used in drilling hard rock formations, and it is also suitable for drilling in collapse or slide collapse formations.

During the cement filling operation, HEC reduces the friction of the pore pressure cement slurry, thereby minimizing the damage to the structure caused by water loss.