Due to the downturn in the market and the negative environmental impact of emulsion-based drilling fluids, ViChem Specialty Products set out to determine the viability of lower ratio oil-water emulsions other than the traditional 80/20 diesel/synthetic-based drilling fluids.

ViChem started a diligent R&D project to develop its HyperOil Technology. The company was working with Pickering emulsion based on solid-stabilized emulsions as these might advantageously replace conventional emulsions containing tall oil fatty acid-derived surfactants. In Pickering emulsions, the stabilizing lm between the droplets includes very rigid layers, providing
a mechanical barrier against coalescence.

The solid particles are irreversibly anchored at the oil-water interface and develop strong lateral interactions. The aim of this technical research is to exploit the solid particles as stabilizing agents to easily obtain a large variety of new materials such as direct oil-water and invert water-oil emulsions that are surfactant-free.

The initial goal was to prepare emulsions of great complexity and instability, common in emulsions with an oil-water ratio from
50/50 to 40/60. These emulsions have a range of benets:
• Lower cost in terms of reducing diesel/synthetic oil usage, chemical surfactants and the HSE impact associated with emulsion-based muds;
• Free of inorganic salts such as sodium or calcium chloride, which have well-known negative environmental impacts;
• Aid in creating low-weight drilling fluids to drill subpressured areas where fluid losses will be critical; and
• Reducing environmental costs for the treatment and disposal of water-based muds, which might be used as one of the phases of the proposed new emulsions.

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