Solazyme, Inc.  and Versalis announced a partnership to expand the commercial use of Encapso™ – which is claimed to be the world’s first commercially-available, biodegradable encapsulated lubricant for drilling fluids.

Part of a leading oil and gas company and operating internationally with a dedicated distribution network, Versalis will expand market access and drive global sales for Encapso as a high-performance and sustainable drilling fluid additive. Versalis’ initial emphasis for Encapso will be oil and gas fields operated by its parent company Eni, which represent a significant amount of the world’s petroleum drilling activity.

Encapso will be featured as part of the company’s recently launched Specialty Oilfield Chemicals product portfolio with target sales volumes exceeding 3,000 metric tons of Encapso annually.

With its unique, on-demand lubricant delivery system, Encapso reportedly increases rates of penetration, decreases drag and reduces both rotational torque and friction in a variety of vertical and horizontal drilling applications. This can lead to reduced drilling costs and accelerated operations. Developed from Solazyme’s technology platform, Encapso is non-hazardous and biodegradable.

Encapso’s effectiveness has been demonstrated commercially in more than 30 oil wells in basins across the United States and Canada, including major areas of exploration in the Williston Basin, Denver-Julesburg Basin, Permian Basin and Western Canada. Encapso’s versatility and inert shell makes it re-usable across various formulations and applications – further reducing overall customer costs.