BANANA TRUNK AS A LOST CIRCULATION MATERIAL IN HYDROCARBON DRILLING FLUID

This project concerns on the investigation of the effect of banana trunk derive from
plant waste as a lost circulation material in water-based drilling fluid. The objectives
ofthis project are to determine the effect of banana trunk on density and rheological
properties of drilling fluid, to compare the change in properties of drilling fluid
between banana trunk, corn cobs and sugar cane and also to determine the suitable
particle size of banana trunk between 63um and 125um as a lost circulation material
in water-based drilling fluid for respective selected core sample through formation
damage system test. For this project, water-based drilling fluid is used. The loss of
drilling fluid is usually more costly for oil-based fluids because the base fluid is more
expensive but the loss of fluid can be quite costly with water-based fluid because of
the chemicals in the fluid. Banana trunk which contains a flattened, modified stem
called pseudostem consisting layers ofleafsheath and crown oflarge leave contain of
fibers which is potential to use as a loss circulation material. Tests have been
conducted in accordance with the by API RP 13B-1 procedure and the related
equipments used are mixer, mud balance, viscometer and formation damage system
device. Properties measured through this experiment are density, plastic viscosity,
yield point, 10 seconds and 10 minutes gel strength, pH and permeability for
formation damage test. The pesudostem will undergo drying, dehumidifying, grinding
and sieving process. The blend of pseudostem added in drilling fluid will be large
enough to form bridge of material in the fracture or cavern formation. The results
show thatthe rheological properties of drilling fluid increase in value as the amount of
banana trunk added increase. Through formation damage system test, it shows that
63umparticle size of banana trunk was efficiently act as lost circulation material for
this core sample as compared to 125um particle size.