Benefits of Guar Gum as a Drilling Fluid Conditioner

Technical Data Sheet for Guar Gum

Guar gum powder is the natural hydrocolloid obtained from milling ground endosperm of guarbean seeds. Guat gum seeds come from the annual plant known as Cyamopsys Tetragonoloba. It is made up of high molecular weight, anionic polymers of mannanopyranose backbone-linked to galactopyranose by glucosidic bonds. It is chemically described as carboxymethyl hydropropyl guar. Guar gum features very effective thickening, gelling, hydrating and particle suspension properties due to its unique viscosity characteristics. The plant is grown in India and used as a component in many industrial and food products.

Our guar gum has the appearance and texture of odorless, white flour and is ground into 100, 150, 200 and 300 mesh sizes as preferred by the drillers. Our guar gum is manufactured from the purest available raw material in technical grade viscosities from 2500 to 7500 cps. Our guar gum is also manufactured in low viscosity technical grades from 100 to 1000 cps. Further, we make two other viscosities especially for the O&G market: 35 and 40 cps at 3 minutes. This is an extremely fast wetting/hydration time.

When guar gum beans are ground into a powder, this bean starch can provide a specific viscosity which makes it a technically efficient and cost effective additive for drilling fluids. Guar gum has a number of properties which make it highly advantageous to be included in the drilling fluid package. Guar gum provides the following benefits to the drillers: effective suspension of proppant material, coarse sand, bentonites, in the drilling mud; effective gelling and hydrating actions; provides lubricity and friction reduction; controls water loss; guar gum facilitates pumping of the drilling fluid into the soil; if the proppant material is suspende3d more effectively, then the driller can deliver more of it under pressure to create and expand rock cracks; guar gum prevents water loss from viscous drilling fluid; guar gum leaves minimal residual quantities after completion of gelling action and water washing; guar gum is environmentally friendly because it is naturally reabsorbed or exhausted in the drilling process.

Guar is less thermally stable at temperatures > 1000 C, however, this limitation may be overcome by the application of hydroxyl-propyl derivatives.

A key feature of our guar gum is its rapid hydration. This is especially critical in cold climates such as the Bakken. Even at 40°F water temperatures, our guar gum goes into solution rapidly and remains stable. There is no need for added BTU with our guar gum formulations. It is reasonable to consider guar gum as a friction reducer similar to some of our polymers which modify viscosity. Shelf life on all guar gum products is > 2 years when stored in dry, room temperature conditions.

Economics/Cost Effectiveness

Our guar gum products are warehoused in Houston and packaged in both 55.1# bags and 2000# sacks. Guar gum is less costly to purchase and apply than synthetic products. Our Houston location is very convenient for drillers. Please contact our sales department at water@tramfloc.com for further information about samples and quotations.