CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF CLAY BASED HYBRID MATERIALS FOR DRILLING OPERATIONS CORRESPONDING AUTHOR'S COMPANY: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

In this presentation, we will introduce our recent research to explore transition metal oxide nanoparticles to remove harmful byproducts of the drilling operation. One of potential hazards in drilling operations originates from gas‑phase byproducts. A typical gas endangering drilling facilities and workers is H2S that is poisonous as well as flammable. H2S is produced by bacteria in confined water and oil where the influx of air is very limited. High concentration H2S causes coma, collapse and death of oil field workers. In addition, H2S in the drilling fluids erodes and embrittles drilling bits, strings, and rigs, leading to a decrease in their mechanical strength and lifetime. To prevent environmental contamination and protect health of oil field workers, it is desired that the constituents of the drilling fluids filter poisonous gas‑phase byproducts that are produced during oil drilling process. For this purpose, we have studied hybrid particles consisting of micro‑size bentonite particles and iron oxide nanoparticles with large surface area and evaluate the effect of transition metal oxide nanoparticles on scavenging harmful underground gas such as H2S. The kinetics of scavenging reaction was affected by several parameters such as particle size and pH, which needs systematic research to maximize the efficiency of the scavenging reaction. When the iron oxide nanoparticles were employed, the reaction would be substantially faster due to their large surface area. But, then distribution and collection of nanoparticles in a mud pit are not easily controlled because the size of nanoparticles is too small compared with other constituents of the drilling fluids. We have developed the Fe nanoparticle‑clay hybrid particles that possess high chemical reactivity of the nanoparticles and easy processability of the clay particles. Newly developed Fe nanoparticle‑clay hybrid particles were found to effectively decompose the pollutants and purify water.