Development of a New Drilling Fluid Additive from Lignosulfonate

Nitration-oxidation lignosulfonate (NOLS) was prepared using lignosulfonate (LS) as raw material. The product was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The performance as a drilling fluid additive was evaluated with regard to rhology, filtration and temperature resistance. The results showed that NOLS can improve the viscosity under room temperature, decrease the viscosity under high temperature and reduce the filtration more effectively than that of lignosulfonate, which display its good temperature resistance. So NOLS may be used as sustained release nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture as it was abandoned after the drilling process.