Calcium Bromide - A Hot Cake Completion Fluid

Calcium Bromide(CaBr2) which is an excellent drilling tool and is a very popular choice in the oilfield industry. With immense increase in drilling activities in petroleum exploration, the demand for clear brine fluids has sky-rocketed. Calcium Bromide, with 14.2 lbs/gal density, is an excellent choice for a completion fluid because of its various properties like non-damaging to the drilling formation, it is very stable chemically and thermally, and it can be used as a single salt clear brine or can be mixed with other bromides and chlorides such as zinc bromide, sodium bromide, calcium chloride, etc; making effective multi-salt compositions that are a formation of balanced high density from 11.7 lbs.gal to almost as high as 19.4 lbs/gal. It is available in powder and liquid forms. In its liquid form, it serves as an excellent drilling mud that helps balance the unstable strata while drilling oil & gas and prevents intrusion of water that may be encountered while drilling on uneven surfaces. In its powder form, it dissolves in water & other brines, and yields completion workover and packer fluids of densities upto 2.3 gm/ml (19.2 lb/gal).

Major Applications of Calcium Bromide as a completion fluid

Calcium Bromide is used as a suspension tool to keep the cuttings from filling the dug holes. While drilling, the hydrocarbons and the rock formations increase the pressure inside the drill holes, CaBr2 is used to control this pressure and even tone it. It is also very useful to seamlessly adjust the characteristics of individual drill holes. Another important use of CaBr2 as a completion fluid in oil well drilling activities is that it stabilizes the rock formation. By aiding in the repair of the individual drill holes, it helps in preventing the collapse of the rock formation. CaBr2is becoming a popular choice in oil and gas drilling, it is in fact preferred over many other fluids because it mixes easily with all the major zinc and calcium based brines and adjusts the density of other brine systems. Calcium Bromide can also be used to drill secondary drill holes from the previously drilled ones, thus increasing the oil well drilling productivity.

This bromide, a highly effective Completion Fluid is used in both offshore and onshore drilling operations. Recent expansion in drilling activity like deep, high pressure wells have contributed to the rapid growth in this market, accounting to an expected growth from $10.86 billion in 2013 to $18.37 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 7.8 percent.

There are a few comprehensive reports based on the market analysis of CaBr2 as an important agent amongst various drilling chemicals. Such reports give an in-depth study about the current state of CaBr2 across global market. Right from the manufacturing perspective, capacity, production value, and profit to its demand/supply and import/export these reports explore the various aspects and provides a stream-lined guide to the oil field industry players about it.

The Role of Oilfield Chemicals in the Turnaround and Rise of Oilfield Industry

Oilfield chemicals are manufactured on a large scale mainly for their usage in the gas and oil industry. These specialty oilfield chemicals are known to enhance the quality and performance of the production in a manufacturing unit. By delivering apt quality specialty chemicals, oilfield chemicals manufacturers are able to improve the overall recovery rate of the hydrocarbons that are used in the oilfield industry. Consistent advancements in technology and growth in the shale industry has created various positive opportunities for these specialty chemicals. Increased demand for fuel and growth in large scale business activities are also two of the significant driving factors that have contributed to the turnaround and rise of oilfield industry.

The Role of Oilfield Chemicals in The Rise and Turnaround of Oilfield Industry

Utilized in almost all the stages of gas and oil production, ranging from drilling and well exploration, EOR applications to oil production, specialty oilfield chemicals are anticipated to continue to record consistent growth which is driven strongly by increasing demand for energy all over the world. Oilfield Chemicals Manufacturers have identified the fact that they have a huge gap to fill with most of the gas and oil resources in the world drying up. This is where they have been able to provide competent completion and drilling chemicals that have made the work of various industries easier.

Calcium Bromide – A Comprehensive Oilfield Chemical

Calcium bromide available in powder and liquid form, is a comprehensive completion fluid and oilfield chemical. With a CAS number: 7789-41-5 and molecular formula: CaBr2, calcium bromide is one of the best Oilfield Chemicals to be used in the industry because most of the companies in the oil and gas industries opt for CaBr2 for making their applications smoother. Calcium bromide is nothing but the hydrobromic acid of the calcium salt. It can absorb moisture from the air and in its powder form it completely dissolves in common brines and water. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that calcium bromide has played a significant role in boosting the demand for oilfield chemicals and the industry as a whole.

Drivers and Restraints for The Market

As per various industry reports, change in the trend of demand for specialty chemicals is anticipated to create many more opportunities for the manufacturers in the industry. The three main drivers for the market are: improved demand in specialty processes like well stimulation, rise in crude oil production and increase in deep water drilling activities.


It has been observed that powerful rise in the demand for energy and fuel sources is creating a huge demand for chemicals. However political issues across the world are causing some problems for the oilfield chemicals manufacturers, especially in the Middle Eastern regions.

Market Segmentation

For the purpose of deriving ideal forecasting reports, various experts have segment the global oilfield chemicals industry into various types of applications and products. The kinds of products are usually segmented into specialty chemicals and advanced polymers. However, the chemicals on the other hand are sub-categorized into corrosion, biocides and scale inhibitors, pout-point depressants and surfactants. Key applications of all these products comprises in drilling fluid, fracking, cementing, well stimulation, improved oil recovery, production chemicals and completion fluids.

These are some of the interesting things to note about the turnaround and rise of oilfield industry and the role of oilfield chemicals in it.

Calcium Bromide Manufacturers Going Global with Quality Oilfield Chemicals

Calcium Bromide one of the essential oilfield chemicals, has a molecular formula of CaBr2 and is available in both liquid and powder form. This is an important oilfield chemical which contributes to large scale manufacturing processes and therefore it is important for it to comply with the highest standards of chemicals in the industry. Calcium bromide manufacturers create these chemicals with the help of thorough product development, unique manufacturing processes and research using the current technology. Calcium bromide is nothing but hydrobromic acid’s calcium salt. Calcium bromide is produced as a result of a reaction between calcium carbonate, calcium oxide and hydrobromic acid. It is known to adapt the given rutile structure that features octahedral Ca. At the time when it is heated strongly in air, it produces bromine and calcium oxide.

Some common applications of Calcium Bromide

Calcium Bromide can easily absorb moisture from the environment due to the fact that it is a hygroscopic powder. It also gets easily dissolved in water and other common brines, yielding packer fluids. In comparison to other prominent chemicals, calcium bromide is very useful in various applications such as neuroses medication, fire retardants, photography, food preservatives and freezing mixtures.

The main purpose why Calcium Bromide Manufacturers create calcium bromide is because it is helpful in adjusting and managing the overall density of recycled or fresh work over, packer and completion brines. In its solid and powdered form, calcium bromide is utilized for the purpose of preparing solids-free and high density workover and completion fluids at the time when the price of transporting the liquid is a bit price prohibitive. It is also used across the world for formulating brines which are single-salt in nature. On the other hand, it can also used in tandem with other prominent dual valence salts for eventually forming brines of given densities. 

Calcium bromide as an Oilfield Chemical is used mainly in two major applications. It is used as a special oxidizer for the purpose of mercury emission control and as clear brine liquid in the oil and gas industry. Calcium bromide is mainly used for controlling wellbore pressures at the time of workover and completion operations in the case of upstream gas and oil. As far as mercury emission control is concerned, this chemical is carefully sprayed on the given coal before the combustion takes place. Another major use of calcium bromide is that it can be easily utilized along with the brines of calcium chloride and calcium chloride in dry form for formulating fluids that are non-damaging and possess a density in the range of 11.7 lbs/gal – 15.1 lbs/gal.

With the rise in demand of calcium bromide, its filteration has also become a global topic of discussion. It is needless to say that filteration has improved the quality of calcium bromide and other brines making it easier for the clients to manufacture better quality end products as a result.