Clay Minerals – Mineralogy and Phenomenon of Clay Swelling in Oil & Gas Industry

Among the minerals found in the earth's crust, clay minerals are of the widest interest. Due to the specific properties such as plasticity, absorbing and catalytic properties clay minerals are used in many industries (oil & gas, chemistry, pharmacy, refractory technology, ceramics etc.). In drilling, a phenomenon of swelling clays is frequently observed. It has an important impact on the cementing quality. During the last few decades clays have been the subject of research on a scale unprecedented in the history of mineralogy. This paper presents review literature on mineralogy of clay minerals and phenomenon of swelling in oil and gas industry. Unique ion exchange properties and clay swelling mechanisms are also considered.