Global Oilfield Drilling Additives Market to Witness Significant Revenue Growth Through 2021

 Oilfield chemicals play a significant role in the oil and gas industry. Most common oilfield chemicals used by the industry are organic chemicals and solvents, surfactants, transition metal compounds, inorganic salts, water-soluble and oil-soluble polymers. These chemicals control the bacterial growth, foam & wax formation and corrosive action in oils and gases. Drilling additives is one of the major applications in the oilfield chemicals market.

Chemical formulations used for multiple functions in oil processing are termed as oilfield drilling additives. The additive technologies excel with emulsification and thinning or dispersion of oil-based muds. They help to create proper fluid weighting to balance pressure formation and optimize fluid flow. Other functions include maintaining strong boundary lubrication films in silicate-based mud systems specialized for shale drilling, which is done by lubricating agents. Other functions include wettability, dispersant, detergency and clay stabilization. Selection criteria of drilling additives require careful consideration of several aspects, such as pressures and temperatures, rock composition, well design, protection of the producing zone, reservoir chemistry, and environmental regulations. The focus is on performance, temperature stability and tolerance of products from contamination for drilling fluid systems.

While there are many types of components and additives currently being used in the industry, usually the classification of fluids is based on the formulation of coatings as water based, oil based and synthetic based. Each type varies greatly and the composition is different with different technical specifications. The major chemicals used in the industry are sulfurized or chlorinated compounds, polyglycols, acrylics, esters polyamides, glutaraldehyde, alcohols and many more.

In a recent merger by The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, signed an agreement with Weatherford, stating that the company’s drilling fluids and additives business will now be a part of the Lubrizol Corporation. The Lubrizol Corporation has introduced a new mobile application called the Oilfield Drilling Fluids Product Guide, which is designed to help formulators of Oilfield Drilling Fluids to identify advanced Lubrizol chemistries that help achieve a wide range of performance needs. Arabian Drilling Corporation launched three new products AD41, AD42 and AD43; which have special drilling control systems equipped with Amphion Integration, a technology that provides compact and comfortable rigs.

Increasing demand from energy sector is creating thrust to drilling deeper for more oil extraction, the protection of oil from various harmful organisms in the biocides industry are some of the key factors driving the growth of the oilfield drilling additives market.

Total cost to target with environmentally acceptable fluid systems, European environmental concerns, strict environmental regulations are probable factors restraining the growth of the oilfield drilling additives market.