Micromax® is produced during the manufacture of ferromanganese (FeMn), following reaction at temperatures of 1000-1750°C. Micromax® consists only of divalent and trivalent manganese (Mn[II] and Mn[III]). Tetravalent manganese (Mn[IV]), classified as harmful to health, has not been detected in the product.
Micromax® is environmentally safe and classified on PLONOR list.
Elkem has developed a processed version of its Micromax® product, Micromax FF (Free-Flow), which is a free-flowing version of the classic Micromax®. It exhibits the same good performance in a cement slurry that you can expect from a Micromax® family product, e.g., no settling, low rheology. Furthermore, the processing of the additive makes it extremely easy to handle in cementing operations while it also lowers the overall dust emission during the handling of the powder. The Micromax FF product is made of large aggregates ( ˜100 microns) that re-disperse with low shear to the micron-size particles.
High-Weight additive
As a heavyweight additive with a high specific gravity and superior flow properties, Micromax out-performs all comparable additives. Pumpable slurries, up to a density of 22 ppg (2,64 SG) can easily be achieved.
Some examples of the Micromax weighting agent used in drilling & completion fluids:
- 1994 - In a 1.65 sg Potassium Formate Drill in Fluid in Norway as Micromax is compatible but the formate would dissolve barite
- 1999 - In a 2.35 sg LAO at a BHST of 212oc to drill an HPHT well in China mixed with hematite to provide excellent rheology at very high temperature and density
- 2003 - In a 1.64 sg LTOBM to develop a UK North Sea field by TTRD, which would have been impossible with barite because of the high ECD's created
- 2004 - In a 1.70 sg LTOBM completion & packer fluid in the UK North Sea at a BHST of 150oc. Chosen as more cost-effective than alternative brine solutions
- 2005 - In 1.7 to 1.94 sg OBM completion & packer fluids in the Caspian at a BHST of 100oc. Chosen as more cost-effective than alternative brine solutions
- 2007 - In a 2.28 sg WBM DIF to drill an HPHT well at a BHST of 174oc in the Mediterranean because of being non-damaging & non-sagging
- 2007 - In a 2.52 sg WBM on an HPHT well in India to provide an environmentally friendly, non-sagging kill fluid
- 2008 - In a 2.22 sg LTOBM to drill HPHT wells in the UK North Sea at BHST's of around 210oc to manage EDC's
- 2008 - In a 1.43 sg LTOBM completion & packer fluid in the North Sea to provide a non-sagging or damaging fluid to optimise productivity & provide wellbore stability
For more information on any of these applications, and others, please contact us at: wdp.materials@elkem.no
