Product Details

Natural Asphalt Powder (Plugging & Anti-sloughing Agent)

1. Product Overview
Natural Asphalt Powder is a high-efficiency natural organic plugging and anti-sloughing agent specially applied to water-based drilling fluid systems. It is refined and modified from high-quality natural asphalt ore, featuring excellent temperature resistance, strong plasticity and good film-forming property. Under downhole temperature and pressure conditions, it can soften and deform to form a dense hydrophobic protective film on the wellbore surface, effectively plugging formation micro-pores and micro-fractures. It can significantly inhibit shale hydration and dispersion, reduce drilling fluid filtration, stabilize wellbore, and prevent leakage and collapse. The product has good compatibility with various water-based drilling fluids, no fluorescence, low damage, safe and environmentally friendly, which is suitable for complex and difficult drilling operations in unstable formations.

2. Technical Specifications

3. Key Performance Features

3.1 Thermoplastic Plugging & Dense Film Formation
The product has unique thermoplasticity. It softens and adheres under downhole temperature and pressure, fills and plugs formation micro-pores and micro-fractures, and forms a compact hydrophobic isolation film on the wellbore. It effectively blocks water invasion into the formation, reduces fluid loss, and solves micro-leakage problems of porous and fractured formations.

3.2 Excellent Wellbore Stabilization & Anti-sloughing Effect

It can effectively inhibit hydration swelling and dispersion of mud shale and fragile formations, prevent wellbore spalling, collapse and diameter shrinkage. It maintains wellbore integrity during long-term drilling and improves drilling safety in unstable formations.

3.3 High Temperature Resistance & Strong Adaptability
Modified natural asphalt structure ensures stable performance under medium and high temperature conditions, without pyrolysis or failure. It adapts to various complex working conditions such as high salt, high mineralization and medium-high temperature deep wells.

3.4 Zero Fluorescence & Low Formation Damage

The product features zero fluorescence, which does not affect oil and gas reservoir logging evaluation. It has good reservoir protection performance, low pollution and low damage, meeting the requirements of fine exploration and development.

3.5 Good Compatibility & Easy Application

It has excellent compatibility with all conventional water-based drilling fluid systems and additives, with no adverse impact on drilling fluid rheology, viscosity and gel strength. It dissolves and disperses quickly on site with stable application effect.

4. Recommended Applications

• Various water-based drilling fluid systems for oil and gas well drilling

• Hydration and collapse-prone mud shale, argillaceous and fractured formations

• Porous permeable formations and micro-fractured leakage formations

• Medium-temperature deep wells, directional wells and horizontal wells with strict wellbore stability requirements

• Working conditions requiring zero fluorescence and low reservoir damage

5. Recommended Dosage
Conventional wellbore stabilization and plugging: 1.0%–2.0% (by mass of drilling fluid).
Severe fractured leakage and easy-collapse formations: dosage can be increased to 2.0%–3.5%, or used in combination with other plugging agents and anti-sloughing additives for synergistic effect.

6. Packaging, Transportation & Storage
Packaging: 25kg/bag in moisture-proof composite paper bags, or customized packaging as per customer requirements.
Transportation: Avoid violent collision, extrusion, rain and direct sunlight during transportation to prevent package damage and product deterioration.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, kept moisture-proof. Keep away from fire sources and strong oxidizing agents.

7. Safety Precautions
Wear protective gloves and dust masks during operation to avoid dust inhalation and skin contact. In case of accidental contact with eyes or skin, rinse immediately with plenty of clean water and seek medical attention if necessary. Maintain ventilation in the working area to prevent dust accumulation.

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 formulations and solutions are available upon request.

Application Cases of Natural Asphalt Powder in Drilling Fluids

1. Tarim Oilfield High-temperature Fractured Formation Application

Case Background: The piedmont structure of Tarim Oilfield features complex lithology, developed micro-fractures, frequent wellbore spalling and collapse, high formation temperature (150–170℃), and severe water sensitivity of mud shale. Conventional drilling fluid additives fail to plug micro-fractures effectively and cannot maintain long-term wellbore stability, resulting in tripping difficulties and downhole complex situations.

Application Formula & Dosage: On the basis of conventional high-temperature water-based drilling fluid system, 2.0%–3.0% natural asphalt powder was added independently. Combined with ultra-fine calcium carbonate for graded plugging, it forms a multi-level plugging system.

Application Effect: The product softens and forms film under downhole temperature and pressure, effectively plugs formation micro-pores and micro-fractures, significantly reduces high-temperature and high-pressure fluid loss, and completely inhibits shale hydration and spalling. The wellbore diameter enlargement rate is controlled within 8%, no collapse or stuck pipe occurs during full-section drilling, and the single-well drilling cycle is shortened by 12%. The product has no fluorescence and does not affect subsequent logging interpretation.

2. Large-scale Application in High-salt Collapse-prone Formations (Xinjiang & Tuha Oilfield)

Case Background: The formations of Xinjiang and Tuha Oilfields are characterized by high salinity, high mineralization, strong hydration and dispersion of mud shale, and frequent small-scale leakage and wellbore instability, which seriously restricts safe and efficient drilling.

Application Method: Natural asphalt powder is added at a dosage of 1.5%–2.5% to salt-water drilling fluid system, which is compatible with polymer inhibitors and fluid loss additives to optimize the comprehensive performance of drilling fluid.

Application Effect: The product maintains stable plugging and anti-sloughing performance in high-salt environments, effectively solves the problems of shale expansion and pore seepage. The on-site wellbore qualification rate reaches 100%, the drilling fluid system performance is stable throughout the whole process, no downhole complex accidents occur, and the product is suitable for long-cycle continuous drilling operations.

3. Overseas Deviated & Horizontal Well Friction Reduction & Wellbore Stabilization Case

Case Background: Medium and high deviated wells and horizontal wells in Central Asian oilfields (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) have long open-hole sections, large drilling friction torque, severe wellbore drag, and high risk of differential pressure stuck pipe, with high requirements for drilling fluid lubricity and plugging performance.

Application Dosage: 1.0%–2.0% natural asphalt powder is added to the water-based drilling fluid system for horizontal well operation.

Application Effect: The product forms a smooth dense filter cake on the wellbore, which significantly reduces drilling torque and drag. The field test shows that the average torque is reduced by 36%, the axial drag is reduced by 50%, the friction reduction effect is remarkable, and the risk of differential pressure stuck pipe is eliminated. Meanwhile, it stabilizes the wellbore of long horizontal sections, ensures smooth tripping and running casing, and greatly improves the success rate of horizontal well construction.

4.  Low-damage Reservoir Protection Case for Micro-fracture Leakage Formations

Case Background: Shale and fractured tight reservoirs have developed micro-nano fractures, slight leakage and serious filtrate invasion, which easily cause reservoir permeability damage and affect later oil and gas production. The construction requires zero-fluorescence and low-damage drilling fluid additives.

Application Effect: Natural asphalt powder adopts physical plugging and hydrophobic film-forming mechanism, which can effectively block micro-fracture leakage, reduce filtrate invasion, and protect reservoir permeability. The product has zero fluorescence, does not interfere with logging and reservoir evaluation, and the core permeability recovery rate is higher than 92% after construction, achieving efficient low-damage drilling.

5.  Long-term Wellbore Stabilization Case for High-temperature Deep Wells

Case Background: Deep wells with formation temperature 120–180℃ have long drilling cycles, conventional anti-sloughing agents are easy to thermally degrade and fail in the later stage of drilling, resulting in late wellbore collapse and hole shrinkage.

Application Effect: Modified natural asphalt powder has stable high-temperature resistance, no thermal decomposition or failure in long-term high-temperature drilling. It maintains continuous plugging and isolation effect, effectively solves the problem of late wellbore instability in deep wells, and ensures the full-cycle stability of wellbore for deep and ultra-deep well drilling.