An LSU AgCenter scientist has received more than $187,500 for research to develop smart drilling fluids used in oil and gas exploration with more efficiency and greater efficacy.
Qinglin Wu, a professor of composite and engineered wood products in the AgCenter School of Renewable Natural Resources, is using nanoparticles made of cellulose to improve the viscosity and filtration properties of drilling fluids, also known as drilling muds, for use in drilling for oil and natural gas, among other applications.
The funds include $147,510 from the Louisiana Board of Regents Industrial Ties Research Subprogram along with $40,000 in matching funds from a group of oil service companies.
Industry is searching for environmentally benign chemicals, polymers and natural products that are physically small, chemically and thermally stable, and biodegradable, Wu says.
“Nanomaterials are considered the most promising materials of choice for smart fluid design for oil and gas field operations,” he says in a news release.
The funding from the Board of Regents requires matching funding from the private sector to support research that can directly benefit Louisiana business or industry for economic development. Industry partners are providing Wu with money and in-kind materials to meet the requirement.
