The role of hydroxyethyl cellulose HEC in petroleum drilling

Hydroxyethylcellulose HEC is used as a thickener in various types of mud required for drilling, cementing, and fracturing operations to achieve good flowability and stability of the mud. Improving the mud carrying capacity and preventing a large amount of water from entering the oil layer from the mud during drilling has stabilized the production capacity of the oil layer.

During oil and natural gas drilling, if the filtration rate of the drilling fluid is too high, it can easily lead to shale expansion, which will directly lead to wellbore shrinkage, even collapse and other accidents. This will increase drilling time and cost, and even lead to wellbore scrapping. Therefore, in the drilling process, it is necessary to use a fluid loss additive. Adding a fluid loss additive during drilling can form a flexible and dense filter cake on the wellbore, thereby reducing the filtration of drilling fluid, protecting the reservoir, and stabilizing the wellbore.

Hydroxyethylcellulose HEC can be used as a thickener and cementing agent for oil well workover fluids. Helps to provide a clear low solid content solution, greatly reducing damage to the oil well structure.

The liquid thickened with hydroxyethyl cellulose HEC is easily decomposed by acids, enzymes, or oxidants, greatly improving the ability to recover hydrocarbons. In oil well fluids, hydroxyethyl cellulose HEC is used as a support agent carrier.

The drilling fluid prepared with hydroxyethyl cellulose HEC, based on its low solid content function, can effectively improve drilling stability. These performance inhibitors can be used for drilling medium to high hardness rock layers and heavy shale or shale. In cement reinforcement operations, hydroxyethyl cellulose HEC can reduce hydraulic friction of the mud and minimize water loss in the lost rock layers.