One of the key oilfield minerals, barytes used as a weighting agent in drilling fluids, is having its industry specification brought into debate once again.
This follows an earlier review, in 2010, when the American Petroleum Institute (API) published its revised industry standard for barytes gravity requirements at 4.1 specific gravity (SG).
This was a major change from the longstanding 4.2 SG API specification.
Barytes’ specifications
Bill Miles, of Miles Industrial Mineral Research, US, is to present on this subject at the upcoming IM Roundtable: Oilfield Minerals Outlook, 19-21 June 2012, Houston.
In his paper, Miles said: “Because US resources for specific gravity 4.2 barytes were decreasing, in 2006, the API evaluated lower specific gravity barytes for drilling and published 4.1 specific gravity barytes requirements in 2010.”
In addition to specific gravity, current API specifications for both 4.2 and 4.1 barytes include: 97% minimum...