Plant-based nano-structured additives in drilling fluids: Sustainable solutions, applications, and environmental advantages
Singh R. Sethi D. Pandey A.K. Ajmeri H.G. Padharia V. Sreenivasan H. Irawan S. Martyushev D.A. Krishna S.
1 January 2026Elsevier B.V.
Journal of Molecular Liquids
2026#441
The increasing environmental concerns in drilling operations have started a shift toward the sustainable and high-performance drilling fluids. Regular mud systems like water-, oil-, or synthetic-based rely on non-biodegradable polymers and other chemical additives which causes ecological harm and incompetence. To address these challenges, this review deeply examines the classification, synthesis, and performance of plant-based nano-structured bio-additives developed as eco-friendly alternatives to regular drilling-fluid components. Natural polymers like cellulose, starch, and guar gum provide effective viscosity control and fluid-loss reduction through hydrogen-bonding networks, whereas microbial and plant-derived biopolymers (e.g., gellan gum, nanocellulose) enhance temperature and salinity resistance. Vegetable oils and fatty-acid esters give biodegradable and non-toxic substitutes for synthetic lubricants in oil-based muds. Also, plant-mediated nanoparticles like zinc oxide, silica, and iron oxide – shows superior filtration control, rheological enhancement, and thermal stability under high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) conditions. The preparations of these bio-additives, including extraction, fermentation, and green reduction using plant extracts, are made with emphasis on how their structural and physicochemical characteristics influence drilling-fluid performance. The main objective of this review is to provide literature on plant-based nano-structured bio-additives to make a unified understanding of their mechanisms, preparation methods, and performance advantages in sustainable drilling-fluid setup. The findings highlight that optimized bio-additives can match or exceed conventional additives in rheology, filtration, and environmental safety, enable greener drilling technologies that stood for global sustainability goals.
Bio-additives , Biopolymers , Fluid-loss control , HPHT stability , Nano-structured materials , Sustainable drilling
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Department of Petroleum Engineering, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Raysan, Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 382426, India
Department of Petroleum Engineering, School of Mining and Geoscience, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, Astana, Kazakhstan
Department of Oil and Gas Technology, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Komsomolskiy Prospekt, 29, Perm Krai, Perm, 614990, Russian Federation
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Department of Oil and Gas Technology
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