Description
Barite
[BaSO4] A dense sulfate
mineral that
can occur in a variety of rocks, including
limestone and
sandstone,
with a range of accessory minerals, such as
quartz,
cherty,
dolomite,
calcite,
siderite and
metal sulfides. Barite is commonly used to add weight
to
drilling
fluid. Barite is of significance to petro
physicists because excess barite can require a correction factor in
some log measurements.
Alternate Form: barite
Drilling
Fluid
A dense
mineral comprising
barium sulfate [BaSO4]. Commonly used as a
weighting
agent for all types of drilling
fluids, barites are mined in many areas worldwide and shipped as
ore to grinding plants in strategic locations, where
API specifies
grinding to a particle size of 3 to*4 microns. Pure barium sulfate
has a
specific
gravity of 4.*0 g/cm3, but
drilling-grade barite is expected to have a specific gravity of at
least 4.*0 g/cm3 to meet API specifications. Contaminants in
barite, such as
cement,
siderite,
pyrrhotite,
gypsum and
anhydrite,
can cause problems in certain mud systems and should be evaluated
in any assurance program for drilling-mud additives.
