Evaluation of the Potential of Periwinkle Shell as pH Enhancer in Water Based Mud

Abstract

In a quest to provide a direct substitute for foreign chemicals as pH enhancers in drilling mud in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, the suitability of periwinkle shells, a small gastropod sea snail as a pH enhancer in water-based mud was investigated. The potential evaluation of periwinkle shell as pH enhancer was carried out to determine the effect of periwinkle shell on the pH and mud weight. In this research, the water-based mud sample was formulated using bentonite clay, distilled water (deionized water) with calcined periwinkle shells in varying weight proportions and the pH measurements and mud weight measurements were taken at 25 °C. The results obtained, shows that the periwinkle shell increased the pH value within the range of 64.3% to 92.8% due to incremental addition of 1g to 4g of calcined periwinkle. However, there was little or no increase in the mud weight as the mud weight eventually increased by 0.56%. Consequently, results show that the periwinkle shell has a very high potential for pH enhancement with a reduced potential for mud weight increase.