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Evaluation of Ground Walnut Shell Flour and Locust Bean Seed Powder Blended with Metal Oxide Particles on the Rheological Performance of Drilling Mud

Tracy Eguono Blessing Akinmoji, Lawrence Oghenerume Uti, Augustine Abiodun, Ogugu, and Emmanuel Zeneboebi Loyibo

Abstract

Maintaining good fluid performance while drilling relies on specific additives that improve mud behaviour and ensure borehole stability. However, commercial synthetic additives come with high logistical costs, pose environmental risks, and depend on supply chains. This study examined the performance of two notable Nigerian agro-wastes, Ground Walnut Shell Flour and Locust Bean Seed Powder , modified with Iron Oxide particles (Hematite, HMP). We tested this as a multi-component bio-additive package for water-based drilling muds . The materials were pre-treated, ground, and mechanically sieved to a size of 154μm. We mixed sixteen experimental fluid compositions, classifying them into three groups alongside an unconditioned baseline mud. Group 1 used standard Carboxymethyl Cellulose with mass loadings of 0.5g,

Keywords

Walnut Shell FlourLocust Bean Seed PowderMetal Oxide BlendBio-degradable Mud AdditivesYield-Pseudoplastic KineticsFluid-Loss Containment

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