DRILLING FLUIDS

The key to making the rotary drilling system work is

the ability to circulate a fluid continuously down

through the drill pipe, out through the bit nozzles and

back to the surface.

The drilling fluid can be air, foam (a combination of air

and liquid or a liquid.

Liquid drilling fluids are commonly called drilling mud.

All drilling fluids, especially drilling mud, can have a

wide range of chemical and physical properties. These

properties are specifically designed for drilling

conditions and the special problems that must be

handled in drilling a well.

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 Purpose of Drilling Fluids

1. Cooling and lubrication. As the bit drills into

the rock formation, the friction caused by the

rotating bit against the rock generate heat.

The heat is dissipated by the circulating drilling

fluid. The fluid also lubricates the bit.

2. Cuttings removal. An important function of the

drilling fluid is to carry rock cuttings removed

by the bit to the surface. The drilling flows

through treating equipment where the cuttings

are removed and the clean fluid is again pumped

down through the drill pipe string.

3. Suspend cuttings. There are times when

circulation has to be stopped. The drilling fluid

must have that gelling characteristics that will

prevent drill cuttings from settling down at the

bit. This may caused the drill pipe to be stuck.

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4. Pressure control. The drilling mud can be the

first line of defense against a blowout or loss of

well control caused by formation pressures.

The hydrostatic head produced by the mud in

psi is = 0.052 x G x H

where G = density of mud in ppg

H = depth of the hole in feet.

This hydrostatic head will counter the

formation pressure in order to avoid a blowout

while drilling.

For example, Lets say a well is being drilled in a

salt-water basin (pressure gradient of 0.465
psi/ft), the pressure in the formation at 10,000
feet would be expected to be:

10,000 x 0.465 = 4,650 psi

The weight of mud required to counter this

pressure is calculated as follows.
P = 0.052GH
4,650 = 0.052 x G x 10,000
G = 8.94 ppg

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5. Data source. The cuttings that the drilling mud

brings to the surface can tell the geologist the

type of formation being drilled.

6. To wall the hole with impermeable filter cake.

This will give a temporary support to the wall of

the borehole from collapsing during drilling.

Drilling fluid can solve problems

Many drilling problems are due to conditions or

situations that occur after drilling begins and for

which the drilling fluid was not designed.

Some of these problems can be solved by adding

materials to the drilling fluid to adjust its

properties.

Other cases, it may be necessary to replace the

drilling fluid being used with another fluid system.

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The most common changes is the mud weight or

density. Weighting material is added when high-

pressure formations are expected.

Some of the problems are:

1. Lost circulation

Lost circulation can occur in several types of

formations, including high permeable formations,

fractured formations and cavernous zones.

Lost circulation materials can be added to the mud

to bridge or deposit a mat where the drilling fluid

being lost to the formation. These materials include

cane and wood fibres, cellophane flakes and even

padi husks were used in oil drilling in Sumatra.

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2. Stuck pipe

Stuck pipe can occur after drilling has been halted

for a rig breakdown, while running a directional

survey or when conducting other nondrilling

operation.

The drill pipe may stick to the wall of the hole due

to the formation of filter cake or a layer of wet mud

solids on the wall of the hole in the formation.

3. Heaving or sloughing hole

This occurs when shales enter the well bore after

the section has been penetrated by the bit. To solve

this problem, drilling is suspended the hole is

conditioned (by letting the mud in circulation for a

period of time)

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 Types of drilling fluids

1. Water-base mud

This fluid is the mud in which water is the continuous

phase. This is the most common drilling mud used in

oil drilling.

2. Oil-based mud

This drilling mud is made up of oil as the continuous

phase. Diesel oil is widely used to provide the oil

phase. This type of mud is commonly used in swelling

shale formation.

With water-based mud the shale will absorb the

water and it swells that may cause stuck pipe.

3. Air and foam

There are drilling conditions under which a liquid

drilling fluid is not eh most desirable circulating

medium. Air or foam is used in drilling some wells

when these special conditions exist.

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 Mud Properties

1. Mud density or mud weight

Mud weight is measured by means of a mud balance.

The weight of water is 8.33 ppg. The mud weight can

be increased by adding barite (barium sulphate).

Barite has a specific gravity of between 4.2 – 4.3.

Other materials can be used to increase mud weight

such as ilmenite (S.G of 4.58)

2. Mud viscosity

Mud viscosity is difficult to measure but in the field

the Marsh funnel and the Fann V-G meter is

commonly used.

The Marsh Funnel is filled with mud, the operator

then notes the time, removes his finger from the

discharge and measures the time for one quart (946

8
cm3) to flow out. Marsh funnels are manufactured to

precise dimensional standards and may be calibrated

with water which has a funnel viscosity of 26 ± 0.5

sec.

In using Fann V-G (Viscosity-gel) meter, readings are

taken at 600 rpm and 300 rpm.

The viscosities are defined as follows:

µ p =φ 600 -φ 300

µ aF =½φ 600

Yb = φ 300 -µ p

Where µ p = plastic viscosity, cp

µ aF = apparent viscosity, cp

Yb = Bingham yield point, lb/100 ft2

φ = Torque readings from

instrument dial at 600 and 300
rpm.

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From these relationships:

Yb = 2(µ aF - µ p)

µ aF =µ p + ½ Yb

True yield point: Yt = ¾ Yb

Yield point is influenced by the concentration of solids,

their electrical charge, and other factors. If not at

the proper value, it can also reduce drilling efficiency

by cutting penetration rate, increasing circulating

pressure, and posing the danger of lost circulation.

3. Gel strength

The gel strength of a mud is a measure of the shearing

stress necessary to initiate a finite rate of shear.

With proper gel strength can help suspend solids in the

hole and allow them to settle out on the surface,

excessive gel strength can cause a number drilling

problems.

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4. Filtration

The filtration, water loss or wall building test is

conducted with a filter press.

The rate at which filtrate will invade permeable zone

and the thickness of the filter cake that will be

deposited on the wall of the hole as filtration takes

place are important keys to trouble-free drilling

Drilling Fluid treating and monitoring equipment

In addition to the main mud pumps, several items of

mud treating equipment are found on most rigs. Much

of this equipment is aimed at solids removal, including

shale shakers, desanders, desilters and centrifuges.

Shale shakers remove larger particles from the mud

stream as it returns from the bottom of the hole.

Shakers are equipped with screens of various sizes,

depending on the type of solids to be removed.

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Finer particles in the mud stream are removed with

desanders, desilters and centrifuges. Each of these

items of solids-control equipment is applicable only

over a certain range of particle sizes.

In addition to removing solids, mud handling equipment

may also include a mud degasser to remove entrained

gas from the mud stream. Degassing the drilling fluid

is sometimes necessary when small volumes of gas flow

into the well bore during drilling.

Additional equipment include mixers to agitate mud in

the tanks, smaller pumps to various duties and

equipment for adding chemicals and solid materials to

the mud system.

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 Drilling hazards

The following are some of the most common hazards in

drilling and can be overcome by proper control of the

mud properties.

1. Salt section hole enlargement

Salt section can be eroded by the drilling fluid and

causes hole enlargement. These enlargement will

require larger mud volume to fill the system and in

case of casing the hole, larger cement volume is

required.

To avoid these problems a salt saturated mud

system is prepared prior to drilling the salt bed.

2. Heaving shale problems

Areas with shale sections containing bentonite or

other hydratable clays will continually absorb

water, swell and slough into the hole.

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Such beds are referred to as heaving shales and

constitute a severe drilling hazard when

encountered.

Pipe sticking, excessive solid buildup in the mud

and hole bridging are typical problems.

Various treatments of the mud are sometimes

successful, such as

• Changing mud system to high calcium

content by adding lime, gypsum etc which

reduces the tendency of the mud to

hydrate water sensitive clays.

• Increasing circulation rate for more

rapid removal of particles.

• Increasing mud density for greater wall

support

• Decreasing water loss mud

• Changing to oil emulsion mud

• Changing to oil-based mud.

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3. Blowouts

Blowout is the most spectacular, expensive and

highly feared hazard of drilling.

This occurs when encountered formation pressure

exceed the mud column pressure which allows the

formation fluids to blow out of the hole.

Mud density or the mud weight is the principal

factor in controlling this hazard.

In drilling a blow out preventer (BOP) stack is

always attached at the top of the conductor pipe.

In case of a gas kick (a sign that may lead to a

blow out) the BOP stack can close the annular

space between the drilling pipe and the conductor

pipe or casing or shut the whole hole (with a blind

ram of the BOP).

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 4. Lost Circulation

Lost circulation means the loss of substantial

amount of drilling mud to an encountered

formation.

Lost circulation materials are commonly circulated

in the mud system both as a cure and a continuous

preventive.

These materials are the fibrous materials such as

the hay, sawdust or padi husk and lamellated (flat

and platy) materials such as mica, cellophane.

Drilling Mud Calculations

The most common mud engineering calculations are

those concerned with the changes of mud volume and

density caused by the addition of various solids or

liquids to the system.

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The first step is to compute the system volume, which

is the sum of the mud in the hole and surface pits.

Consider then the volume and density change of a mud

(or water) resulting from the addition of solids.

Two basic assumptions must be made:

1. The volumes of each material are additive.

2. The weights of each material are additive.

Expressions for these assumptions:

Vs + Vm1 = Vm2

ρ sVs + ρ m1 Vm1 = ρ m2 Vm2

where Vs = volume of solid

Vm1 = volume of initial mud

Vm2 = final volume of mixture

ρ s = density of solid

ρ m1 = density of initial mud

ρ m2 = density of final mud

Solving for Vs :

ρ sVs + ρ m1 Vm1 = ρ m2 Vm2

ρ sVs = ρ m2 Vm2 − ρ m1 Vm1

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 =ρ m2 Vm2 − ρ m1 (Vm2 − Vs)

ρ sVs − ρ m1 Vs = ρ m2 Vm2 − ρ m1 Vm2

Vs(ρ s −ρ m1 ) = Vm2(ρ m2 −ρ m1 )

Vm2 (ρm2 − ρm1 )

Vs =
ρs − ρm1

As to units, the densities may be in any consistent set.

The corresponding weight to add is

ρsVm2 (ρm2 − ρm1 )

ρsVs =
ρs − ρm1

Example:

A 9.5 lb/gal mud contains clay (S.G.=2.5) and fresh

water. Compute (a) the volume % and (b) the weight %
clay in this.

Solution:

(a) From the equation

V
volume of solid = sVm×2100
(ρm2 − ρm1 )
Vs V=m2
ρs − ρm1
ρ V ρ (ρ − ρm1 )
(b) Weight % solids = s s × 100 = s m2 × 100
(ρm2 − ρm1 ) ρm2Vm2 ρm2 (ρs − ρm1 )
= × 100
ρs − ρm1

18
20.89(.95.5
−−8.833
.33)
= × 100= =
× 100 209..64%
%
(92.5
.5()(
208.8
33−)8−.33
8.33
)
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