Industries
Oil & Gas
Drilling fluid additive for vertical and horizontal well operations. Provides viscosity control, borehole stability, and superior filtration properties. Creates impermeable filter cake to protect formations. High-performance sodium bentonite meeting API 13A specifications for demanding drilling conditions.
Key Applications
How Bentonite is Used
Drilling Fluids / Drilling Mud (API Grade Bentonite)
Viscosity & Cuttings Transport Sodium bentonite is the primary viscosifier in water-based drilling fluids. When dispersed in water at 5–40 lb/bbl (14–115 kg/m³), it creates a thixotropic suspension that carries rock cuttings from the bottom of the wellbore to the surface, preventing sedimentation and maintaining efficient circulation throughout the drilling operation.
Borehole Stabilization & Filter Cake Bentonite particles migrate into porous formations and form a thin, low-permeability filter cake (< 2 mm) on the borehole wall. This membrane reduces fluid loss into surrounding formations by 85–95%, prevents wellbore collapse in unconsolidated or fractured zones, and maintains hydrostatic pressure balance against formation fluids.
Drill Bit Lubrication & Cooling The gel-like properties of bentonite mud reduce friction between the drill string and borehole wall, extending drill bit life and reducing torque and drag. The continuous circulation of bentonite-based fluid dissipates heat generated at the bit face, preventing thermal damage to equipment and formation.
API 13A specifications (Section 9):
- Viscometer dial reading at 600 rpm: ≥ 30
- Yield Point / Plastic Viscosity ratio: ≤ 3
- Filtrate volume: ≤ 15.0 ml
- Residue > 75 µm: ≤ 4.0% by mass
- Moisture content: ≤ 10%
- Yield: ≥ 91 barrels per ton
Target customers: Oil and gas drilling operators, drilling fluid service companies, mud engineering contractors, oilfield supply distributors.
Well Cementing & Completion (Cementing Grade Bentonite)
Cement Slurry Extender Bentonite is added to cement slurries at 2–8% to reduce density and extend volume, enabling cost-effective cementing of surface casing and large-diameter wells. The clay absorbs water and increases slurry viscosity, preventing free water separation and solid settling during placement.
Lost Circulation Control Bentonite-based plugs and squeeze formulations seal fractures and vugular zones that cause drilling fluid losses. When pumped into the loss zone, bentonite swells and creates an impermeable seal, restoring circulation and allowing drilling to continue without costly wellbore abandonment.
Well Abandonment & Plugging Bentonite grout and pellets are used to permanently seal decommissioned wells, preventing cross-flow between aquifers and migration of hydrocarbons to the surface. Sodium bentonite pellets hydrate and swell to form a continuous, low-permeability barrier that meets regulatory requirements for well closure.
Typical formulations:
- Cement slurry extender: 2–8% bentonite by weight of cement
- Lost circulation plug: 15–30 lb/bbl bentonite in sealing slurry
- Well abandonment: bentonite pellets (3/8″ – 1/2″) or grout (15–20% slurry)
- Annular seal: 20–30% bentonite-cement grout
Target customers: Well cementing service companies, well abandonment specialists, regulatory compliance contractors, workover and completion operators.
Enhanced Oil Recovery & Reservoir Management (EOR Grade Bentonite)
Water Shutoff & Conformance Control Bentonite gel treatments are injected into high-permeability zones and thief channels to divert injection water toward unswept oil-bearing formations. The swelling properties of sodium bentonite create a selective barrier that reduces water cut and improves sweep efficiency in mature waterflooded reservoirs.
Fracture Sealing Bentonite-based crosslinked gels are used to seal natural and induced fractures that cause excessive water production. The treatment is placed through coiled tubing or bullheaded into the target zone, where bentonite swells and creates a resilient plug that withstands formation pressure differentials.
Produced Water Treatment Bentonite’s high cation exchange capacity and adsorption properties enable removal of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and suspended solids from produced water. This supports environmental compliance and enables water reuse in drilling and completion operations, reducing freshwater consumption.
Typical applications:
- Water shutoff gel: 5–10% bentonite + crosslinker system
- Conformance control: 3–8% bentonite in polymer-clay treatment
- Produced water clarification: 0.5–2% bentonite as flocculation aid
- Environmental containment: bentonite liners for reserve pits and storage
Target customers: Oil and gas production operators, EOR service companies, produced water treatment contractors, environmental compliance teams at upstream oil and gas companies.
Our Products
Recommended Products for This Industry
Select the right bentonite grade for your specific application needs.
Benefits
Why Choose Askangel Bentonite
Advantages of Askangel Bentonite for Oil & Gas
High Montmorillonite Content 98.5% montmorillonite delivers superior viscosity yield (≥ 91 bbl/ton) with lower bentonite consumption per barrel of mud. Competitors from Turkey, India, and Egypt offer 70–85% montmorillonite, requiring 20–30% higher dosage to achieve equivalent rheological performance.
API 13A Compliance Askangel drilling-grade bentonite meets API Specification 13A Section 9 requirements for viscometer readings, yield point/plastic viscosity ratio, filtrate volume, and residue content. Independent laboratory certification available for every shipment.
Excellent Filtration Control Filtrate volume consistently below 12 ml/30 min (vs. API maximum of 15 ml) ensures minimal fluid loss into formations, protecting reservoir productivity and reducing the need for costly formation damage remediation after drilling.
Low Sand & Silica Content < 2% residue > 75 µm and < 1% free SiO₂ minimize abrasion on drilling equipment (pump liners, nozzles, bit bearings) and reduce silicosis risk for field personnel handling dry bentonite during mixing operations.
Consistent Rheological Performance Askangel controls the entire production cycle: proprietary deposit → enrichment → activation → drying → grinding. Each batch is laboratory-tested for Marsh viscosity, gel strength (10-sec and 10-min), plastic viscosity, yield point, and filtration before shipment.
Flexible Logistics for Oilfield Operations Bulk shipments (rail cars, pneumatic trucks), big bags (500 kg, 1000 kg, 1250 kg), 25 kg bags. FOB Poti, DAP to your warehouse or rig site, CIF to destination port. Expedited delivery programs for active drilling campaigns requiring uninterrupted supply.
Applications by Operation Type
Upstream Drilling:
- Onshore oil and gas exploration wells (water-based mud systems)
- Offshore platform drilling (deepwater and shallow water operations)
- Horizontal directional drilling — HDD (pipeline crossings, utility installations)
- Geothermal well drilling (high-temperature formations)
Well Construction & Completion:
- Surface and intermediate casing cementing (slurry extender)
- Lost circulation treatment (squeeze and plug operations)
- Well abandonment and decommissioning (permanent plugging)
- Water well construction (potable water approved, non-toxic)
Production & EOR:
- Water shutoff and conformance control (mature waterflood fields)
- Profile modification treatments (reducing water-oil ratio)
- Produced water treatment (heavy metal and hydrocarbon removal)
- Reserve pit and containment lining (environmental compliance)
Midstream & Infrastructure:
- Pipeline HDD crossings (lubrication and bore stabilization)
- Tank farm and terminal waterproofing (GCL containment liners)
- Refinery soil remediation (bentonite barriers for contamination control)
- LNG and gas storage facility sealing (underground cavern grouting)
Global Reach
Export Geography
CIS: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia
Applications: drilling fluids for Caspian Basin oil and gas exploration, cementing operations for mature field workovers, HDD bentonite for pipeline infrastructure expansion.
Middle East: Turkey, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq
Applications: API-grade drilling mud for onshore and offshore operations in the Persian Gulf, well cementing for high-temperature formations, produced water treatment for arid-region environmental compliance.
Europe: Romania, Poland, Germany, Italy, Serbia
Applications: drilling-grade bentonite for EU geothermal energy projects, HDD operations for utility crossings, well abandonment and decommissioning of legacy oil and gas assets.
Africa: Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Nigeria
Applications: drilling fluids for oil exploration in North and West Africa, water well construction in arid regions, environmental containment for upstream oilfield operations.
Need Technical Support?
Our team of experts is ready to help you find the right solution for your application.
Contact Us