Product Details

Barite Powder

1. Product Overview

Barite powder (barium sulfate, BaSO₄) is a high-density, chemically stable mineral product obtained by fine grinding of barite ore. As the primary weighting agent for oil and gas drilling fluids, it is widely used in petroleum, chemical, paint and other industries, with 80-90% of its consumption in oilfield drilling operations. It plays a critical role in balancing formation pressure and ensuring drilling safety.

2. Appearance & Basic Properties

3. Core Functions

3.1 Increasing Mud Density & Balancing Formation Pressure

Barite powder significantly raises the density of drilling mud. High-density mud effectively balances the pressure of underground oil and gas formations, preventing well kicks or blowouts and ensuring safe drilling operations.

3.2 Cooling the Drill Bit

During drilling, barite powder helps cool the drill bit and prevents damage caused by excessive heat. This extends the bit’s service life and enhances drilling efficiency.

3.3 Strengthening & Sealing the Borehole Wall

Barite increases mud viscosity, enhancing adhesion to the borehole wall to prevent collapse. It also fills small cracks and pores, preventing mud loss and hydrocarbon leakage.

3.4 Lubricating the Drill Pipe

Barite powder acts as a lubricant, reducing friction between the drill pipe and borehole wall, lowering energy consumption and improving operational efficiency.

4. Product Advantages

✅ Stable & SafeNon-magnetic, non-toxic and chemically stable, ensuring safe and reliable drilling operations.

✅ High Weighting EfficiencyHigh density effectively increases mud weight, providing excellent formation pressure control.

✅ Excellent Suspension PropertyPrevents sand settling and stuck pipe accidents, maintaining stable drilling fluid rheology.

✅ Wide Industrial CompatibilityApplicable in petroleum drilling, chemical processing, paint manufacturing and other industries.

5. Technical Specifications

6. Packaging Specification

· Standard: 25 kg/bag in woven bags, paper-plastic composite bags, or bulk bags.

· Customizable packaging specifications are available according to client requirements.

7. Storage & Transportation

Store in a dry, cool, and well-ventilated warehouse during storage and transportation. Protect the product from moisture to maintain its quality.

8. Disclaimer & Technical Support

All specifications and descriptions in this document are for reference only. The product shall be used in accordance with the customer’s actual working conditions and technical requirements. Customized solutions are available upon request.

Application Cases of Barite Powder for Drilling Fluids

1. High-temperature and High-pressure Weighting Case for Narrow Density Window in Yinggehai Basin, South China Sea

Case Background: The middle and deep strata of Yinggehai Basin are featured with high temperature, high pressure, abnormal high formation pressure and extremely narrow safe drilling density window. Conventional weighting materials cause poor rheological control, excessive surge and swab pressure during tripping, which easily induce downhole risks such as well kick and lost circulation, seriously restricting safe drilling of high-pressure horizontal wells.

Application Formula & Dosage: High-purity and fine-grained barite powder was selected as the weighting material. According to formation pressure gradient, the barite powder was added quantitatively to adjust the drilling fluid density steadily to 1.85–2.10 g/cm³, matching the downhole pressure balance requirements.

Application Effect: The optimized barite powder has high weighting efficiency and excellent suspension stability, which effectively improves the rheological controllability of high-density drilling fluid. It significantly reduces downhole surge and swab pressure, realizes precise pressure control within the narrow density window, completely eliminates well kick and formation fluid invasion risks. The whole drilling process is stable with no barite settlement or sand settling, ensuring safe and efficient construction of high-temperature and high-pressure horizontal wells.

2.  High-density Pressure Balance Drilling Case for Ultra-deep Wells in Tarim Basin

Case Background: Ultra-deep wells in Tarim Basin have large burial depth, complex in-situ stress, high formation pressure and frequent downhole overflow risks. Ordinary weighting materials have low density and poor high-temperature stability, failing to prepare ultra-high density drilling fluid. Severe barite settlement and deterioration of drilling fluid rheology often occur at high temperature, leading to stuck pipe and wellbore instability.

Application Method & Dosage: High-quality high-density barite powder was used for continuous and graded weighting. The drilling fluid density was stably increased to 2.20–2.35 g/cm³, adapting to ultra-deep high-pressure formation conditions. Combined with suspension stabilizer, the system settlement stability was optimized.

Application Effect: The barite powder features high specific gravity, stable chemical properties and excellent high-temperature resistance. It maintains uniform dispersion in ultra-deep high-temperature environments, effectively balances formation pressure, suppresses formation water and gas invasion. No weighting material settlement or bed separation occurs during long-cycle drilling. The drilling fluid rheology and filtration performance remain stable, greatly improving the overall safety of ultra-deep well drilling.

3. Drilling Fluid Rheology Optimization Weighting Case for Offshore Extended-reach Wells

Case Background: Offshore extended-reach wells have long open-hole sections, large drilling torque and drag, and strict requirements on drilling fluid rheology and ECD control. Conventional weighting agents lead to high viscosity and shear force of drilling fluid, excessive circulating pressure, increased downhole friction, and poor wellbore cleaning effect, affecting long horizontal section safe drilling.

Application Dosage: High-purity low-viscosity barite powder was applied for precise weighting. On the premise of meeting formation pressure balance, the drilling fluid rheology was optimized to reduce excessive viscosity and shear, realizing low-friction and stable weighting.

Application Effect: The optimized barite powder effectively controls the viscosity and shear value of oil-based and water-based drilling fluids, reduces circulating friction and downhole torque, and improves wellbore cleaning and cuttings carrying capacity. The drilling fluid density is uniform and stable without fluctuation, which effectively avoids ECD over-limit risks. It ensures continuous and stable drilling of long open-hole sections and improves the construction success rate of offshore extended-reach wells.

4. High-pressure Inhibition & Density Stabilization Case for Salt-gypsum Formations

Case Background: Salt-gypsum formations are highly soluble and strongly corrosive, with severe ion interference. Conventional weighting materials are susceptible to salt contamination, resulting in unstable drilling fluid density, deteriorated rheology, and easy occurrence of salt dissolution, wellbore shrinkage and formation fluid invasion, bringing great hidden dangers to drilling safety.

Application Method & Effect: Barite powder with strong salt resistance and stable performance was adopted for weighting treatment. It has good compatibility with high-salinity brine drilling fluid systems, stable density and no deterioration of rheological properties under long-term salt contamination. It can stably support wellbore pressure, inhibit salt layer dissolution and creep deformation, effectively prevent wellbore shrinkage and overflow, and ensure safe and rapid drilling of salt-gypsum formations.

5. Low-damage Precision Weighting Case for Low-pressure and Low-permeability Reservoirs

Case Background: Low-pressure and low-permeability reservoirs have fragile pore structure and low formation bearing capacity. Poor-quality weighting materials have uneven particle size and many impurities, which easily block reservoir pore throats, cause permanent formation damage and reduce reservoir permeability and later-stage oil and gas recovery efficiency.

Application Method & Effect: High-purity low-impurity barite powder is used for drilling fluid weighting. It features fine and uniform particle size, stable dispersion and low reservoir damage. While accurately balancing formation pressure and preventing micro-overflow, it will not block reservoir pore throats. The core permeability recovery rate is high after drilling, which realizes high-efficiency and low-damage drilling and protects reservoir productivity to the maximum extent.