What are the cost advantages of using HPMC in the field of energy extraction compared to other cellulose ethers? ​

In the field of energy extraction, HPMC (Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose) is often used in combination or competition with cellulose ethers such as HEC (Hydroxyethyl Cellulose) and PAC (Polyanionic Cellulose). Its cost advantage is not reflected in the unit price of raw materials, but is concentrated in dimensions such as dosage control, comprehensive loss, process adaptation, and long-term operation and maintenance. The following will analyze its cost advantage in detail by comparing different :

Compare HEC (hydroxyethyl cellulose)

Reduce single scenario cost with less usage: Although HEC has a simple production process and slightly lower raw material unit price, its addition ratio is often higher than HPMC in oil drilling and other scenarios to achieve the same mud thickening and stabilization effect. The addition amount of HPMC in drilling mud is usually 0.1% -0.5%, while HEC often needs to be increased in proportion to achieve similar viscosity and suspended rock fragment ability. For large-scale drilling projects, a lower dosage can significantly reduce the total consumption of chemicals per well, offsetting the disadvantage of slightly higher unit prices.

Strong adaptability reduces additional costs: HEC needs to be equipped with more auxiliary additives to compensate for its insufficient anti-interference ability in complex geological environments, which will increase the overall procurement cost of additives. HPMC has stronger chemical stability and good compatibility with other components in drilling fluids, without the need for excessive auxiliary agents, making it more advantageous in terms of overall formula cost. Moreover, data shows that HEC has a relatively low market share in oil extraction due to its lack of obvious cost advantages, which indirectly confirms HPMC's comprehensive cost competitiveness in this field.

Compare PAC (Polyanionic Cellulose)

Reduce subsequent processing costs: PAC, as an ionic cellulose ether, has low production costs but poor temperature resistance and stability. In the high-temperature formation environment of oil and gas extraction, it is prone to performance degradation, and residual chemicals may react with minerals in the formation to produce precipitation. These sediments will block the pores of coal seams or oil layers, not only affecting mining efficiency, but also requiring additional dredging equipment and chemical treatment, increasing later operation and maintenance costs. When HPMC is selected for low molecular weight types, it is easy to degrade under formation conditions after fracturing, and is discharged with the backflow fluid, reducing solid residue and blockage problems, and saving a lot of subsequent cleaning costs.

Reduce the cost of process adjustment: Although PAC has certain advantages in the exploitation of high salt formations such as saltwater wells, its performance is unstable in the ordinary water quality environment of conventional oil and gas and coalbed methane exploitation, requiring frequent adjustment of concentration and formula to adapt to the working conditions. The non-ionic properties of HPMC make it less affected by water quality, eliminating the need for frequent adjustment of process parameters and reducing material waste and process debugging costs caused by formula fluctuations.

Compared to other non-ionic cellulose ethers such as MC (methylcellulose)

More reasonable allocation of energy consumption costs: Although the production of non-ionic cellulose ethers such as MC has lower catalyst costs, such as sulfuric acid catalysts costing only $200 per ton, the control requirements for temperature and reaction time during the production process are high, and the overall energy consumption is not low. Although the energy consumption of HPMC etherification reaction is relatively high, the unit energy cost can be diluted through large-scale production. At present, HPMC has a large application scale in the energy field, and large-scale production can reduce its unit energy consumption cost by 15% -20%. On the other hand, MC has a small application volume in the energy extraction field, making it difficult to form economies of scale and resulting in high unit costs.

Stable quality reduces rework costs: MC has weaker water retention and thickening performance compared to HPMC. In scenarios such as fracturing fluids and cementing slurries in oil and gas extraction, if construction quality problems (such as unstable wellbore and unstable cementing) are caused by insufficient chemical performance, rework will be triggered. HPMC has strong performance stability, which can effectively ensure the first success rate of construction, avoid the consumption of secondary chemicals and labor costs caused by rework, which is also its implicit cost advantage.

In addition, HPMC can adapt to different scenarios of energy extraction (such as drilling, fracturing, cementing, etc.) by adjusting the degree of substitution and molecular weight, and one agent can meet the needs of multiple processes. In contrast, other cellulose ethers often require different models of products to be selected for different scenarios, which increases procurement, warehousing, and management costs. Overall, the cost advantage of HPMC is based on the comprehensive cost optimization of the entire mining process, rather than a single dimensional price advantage, which makes it more competitive in the field of energy extraction.