Cellulose nanocrystals in multi-phase systems: stabilization of water-in-oil emulsions for oil-based drilling fluids.

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This Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) grant application will support the research and development project which will be conducted by Drs. Yaman Boluk and Vivek Bindiganavile and their teams at the University of Alberta in collaboration with industrial partners, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Alpac) and Drilling Specialties Company, Division of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP (DSC). The focus of this project is the development of oil-based drilling fluids stabilized with wood based cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Montney geological formation bordered between Alberta and British Columbia is one of the top North American nonconventional oil and gas reserves. Such nonconventional resources require horizontal drillings up to 3,000 meters after the vertical drillings of down to 3,000 meters. Better performing drilling fluids are needed in such difficult operations. Those challenging drilling conditions there and also in the rest of the world require specially developed oil-based drilling fluids. Our goal is to develop oil-based drilling fluids with excellent wellbore stability, distinct flow properties and high temperature tolerance by using water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions stabilized with cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) particles. Our scientific objectives are: 1) to produce surface modified CNC particles with spray drying process; 2) to obtain CNC stabilized W/O emulsions; 3) to obtain unique flow properties and filtration characteristics with CNC stabilized W/O emulsions; 4) to attain good compatibility between the developed W/O emulsions and post drilling operations.The benefits of this project to our partners will be: 1) development of high value and high volume applications of CNC which will make CNC production by forest products companies in Canada economically attractive; 2) high performing and cost effective oil-field products which will bring safer, economically favorable drilling operations in Canada.