Nanographite Oxide as Ultrastrong Fluid-Loss-Control Additive in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

Nanographite oxide (GO) acting as an ultrastrong fluid-loss-control additive was prepared via modified Hummers’ method. The chemical structure and microtopography of GO were characterized through a combined use of FTIR, XRD, TG, TEM, and so on. The performance on fluid-loss control was evaluated through API filtration tests, and compared with several commonly used fluid-loss-control additives. The results show that GO performances are much better than the additives for comparison at relatively low concentration, due to the well aqueous dispersion of nanosheets. In addition, it is found that GO would exhibit outstanding effect on controlling fluid loss even in the absence of bentonite, which is a significant advantage over traditional polymer additives.