The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of polymeric compound on the treatment of bentonite clays for using in water and clay based drilling fluids for the improvement of the filtration and the rheological properties. One industrialized sodic bentonite clay sample and three polymeric additive samples, being two samples of carboximethylcellulose and one of partially-hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, were studied. The compositions of the polymeric compound were obtained through the methodology of mixture design, being defined ten different compositions. The polymeric compound with dry clay was mixed in different concentrations and the drilling fluids were prepared according to the Petrobrás standards; the apparent and plastic viscosities, the yield stress and the water loss were determined. The results show that the use of additives in bentonite clays with polymeric compound improves their properties, according to the Petrobrás specifications for their use in water based drilling fluids.
bentonite clays; polymeric compounds; drilling fluids; rheological properties
