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    Información Fluidos de Perforación

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    8 views12 pages

    4 Drilling Mud

    Uploaded by

    Miguel Duran
    Información Fluidos de Perforación

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    DRILLING ‘Thomas Geehan, Montrouge, France ‘Alan McKee Aberdeen, Scotland Volume 1 Number 2 Curtngs eva Drilling Mud: Monitoring and Managing It Pld ss contol he fhe man Fincions of dling ‘mudi pressure conto} bie lubrestion, shale stably Muldloss Conrof and cutings retrieval, Mod is pumped down the Chil rng and returns ‘Shale ebay arnying cutings op the annulus Atthe suuface, solids conto) equipment removes the cutings. New mud may be added before the mud is pumped ovsnhle again <_|\F\- Lubcaton Increased cos efficiency and environmental controls are causing a revolution in mud engineering. Unnecessary use of expensive mud ives and uel drping of cogs ere Retry. Wh today’s ‘must monitor every ingredient to Lapel heightened concern about the environment, they must ensure the correc disposal of toxic components. Achieving these gools requires monitoring mud properties with an integrated ‘computer system and placing all mivd responsibilty under one oper- ‘ator—moves that can cut mud bills by 70 percent. Drilling muds have evolved enormously since 1901, when the first major petroleum discovery using rotary drilling and circulat ing mud was made at Spindletop, near Beaumont, Texas, USA. The Spindletop mud ‘was simply water made viscous by hyckat ing clay cuttings. Today, muds are complex mixtures of bentonite, polymers, thinners, barite and a host of other ingredients that ‘must accomplish several tasks /of).! Pumped down the drill string, drilling ‘mud lubricates and cools the bit, Mud jet: ting out ofthe dil bi’s nozzles weakens the formation and makes it easier to dill The mud's viscosity carries cultings out of the hole, and its density creates more pressure Tor the Hlp in prepa hs ee, aks ts Dave ‘enon, Trevor Barger an Gilmer Oto Houwe, Patek wichon and Mat Sader eco Fore Wer rage, ances Ti oes, Heo! Hus and Na ‘Aderman cl Schlumberger Cambs Hesewe, Cam be. nga 41 inthe well than in the formation, preventing, the well blowing out. The mud’s chemistry ‘must be adjusted to prevent formation clays from swelling and sticking the dill pipe or collapsing to create an irregular borehole that would be difficult 10 complete, Last but rot least, the mud must form a cake on the borehole wall in front of permeable zones to prevent fluid loss that might jeopardize safety in addition to inereasing cos. Ensuring that a mud performs all these tasks isa 24-hour job. Significant changes to the mud system sometimes become neces- sary at extremely short notice, for example from encountering a overpressured shale section unexpectedly or a carbonate forma: tion that changes the mud chemistry and deviscosifies the bentonite. Mud manage- iment requires intimate knowledge of the special solids and chemicals used to ereate ‘muds, knowing how each behaves individu ally and as part of a mixture Currently, two factors are contributing to a renaissance in mud engineering. Fits is the ‘economics of low hydrocarbon prices. Asin every other area of the oil business, mud ‘engineering is naw carefully scrutinized and ineificient practices are being swept away. ‘Second, environmental concerns are forcing cil and service companies to monitor dis charges oF increasingly to dispose of diss charge in an environmentally acceptable ‘manner. In offshore dling, this can mean carrying all cutings to land, totally elimina ing ocean dumping, Transporting and dis posing of cuttings ashore from a recent Exxon Corp. well drilled in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA cost more than all other dailling costs combined, Reducing cost and protecting the environ- ‘ment requite knowing the mud composition at every moment during drilling, what is being removed at the surface and what is needed to maintain established specitica tions. Paradoxically, while the range of chemical and solid additives has proliferat- ced over the last decade, well site monitoring Of the circulating mud has evolved slowly. Data are acquired with sometimes crude and inaccurate tools, usually only two or three times a day.2 Until recently, data were poorly reported and underutilized for evalu- ating the efficiency of mud management Stringent reporting for environmental con- trol has almost single-handedly changed this. This last year, the Sedco Forex drilling ‘company has implemented a computerized reporting system, It forms part of their 4a MUDSCOPEH service that combines fluid ‘management, solids control, and documen- tation of environmental discharge, and in the process restructures the responsibility of ‘mu management. Responsibility for drilling mud is usually split several ways. The drilling, company nor- mally supervises solids removal equip: ‘ment-—the shale shakes, muel cleaners, cen- trfuges, et. that remove cuttings (see “Solids Contol Basics,” page 50}—while the chem cal product company supervises the pur- chase and addition of solids and chemicals, The operator oversees both partes. On a Sedco Forex dillng rig operating the MUDSCOFE service, a team of two engi neers and two mud technicians takes respon: sibility for all mucl management, including, solids contol anel the acquisition of special mud additives. The team reports jointly to the dling superintendent and the operator rep resentative, This artic nies to cut thee mud bills up to 70 percent saving $100,000 on expensive wells Monitoring Mud ‘Our point of reference will be one of three dally reports, the Fluids Management Repo, that Sedco Forex mud engineers use to monitor the mud (next page). The exam- ple used throughout the article is from a Nom Sea well, ona day in September 1988 when the well’s 12-¥/s-inch section was boeing drilled, The mud! is water-based and termed fow-solids, KCi-polymer. Low-solids means that the mud contains a small amount of low-gavity solids; KCI, potass- tum chloride, is for stabilizing shales; and polymers are providing viscosity and fluid: loss control. For clarity, data measured ditectly by the mud engineers and techni ans and entered into the desktop comput er are illustrated in black, results computed ‘rom this data are illustrated in red. The report is divided into several sections. A the top is basic information about dling hhardware—the drill string, mud flow, bit data, and solids control equipment—and cuttings retrieval. On the left are mud prop- erties and on the right is mud volume analy- sis, At the bottom is information about sup plies and mud on hand pertinent to dling salety, and a cost summary of the mud oper- ation. At the bottom ight, in a comment area, the mud engineer describes daily Adjustments to the mud system, ‘Mud and Cuttings Flow Information about drilling hardware permits analysis of the mud and cuttings slow up the well. The available flow area for the mud and cut- tings in the annulus between the drill string and the forma- tion or casing is fist calculated from the hole and drill string dimensions—see HOLE SIZE to Collars ODAD. (Terms in italic type feature in the daily report; forthe less obvi- ‘ous terms, see "Glossary of Mud Terms," ‘page 45) Then the mud low rate (BBL/nin) is calculated from mud purnp data (SIZE to VOL £%). Flow atea and flow rate permit a calculation of mud velocity (OPP DP to OPP DC) that mud engineers compare with the cutings slip velocity (3 mm sip, ec), defined as the speed of a particle falling hrough a liquid. Slip vlociy is calculated rom mud density and viscosity and cuttings size and density. For cuttings tobe retrieved, ‘mud velocity must exceed slp velocity ‘Mud flow rate is also used to calculate ‘mud velocity issuing from each jot on the bit (N, VEL/ips}—information that relates to rate of penetration—and botioms up, circu: lation, and suface-o-bit travel times for the Circulating mud (8.UP to 5/Bi0. Final infor mation on this section describes details of the solids removal hardware. So far, the data acquisition and interpreted calculations vary litle from day to day. The mud engineer's main concern on a daily basis is watching, MUD PROPERTIES (lft section ofrepot), keeping the mud to spec: fication and maintaining sufficient volume ‘of mud 10 dil safely. Sedo Forex practice is to measure mud properties five times every 24 hours, twice the usual ate for the industry. Currently, with one exception, tan- dard API measuring techniques are used 10 ‘measure ru properties. challenge fr the industry is improving these measurements, many of which date from pre-World War I and lead to consicerable inaccuracies. Oilfield Review Dristing Mus flow SS Te ae (oP ea BES Sd contol 5 2 on ud properties e 3 i |) | commons Lem Oe a ee Sey tots Gt a ea etre eben: (i Ene coe im [Fluids Management Report the most important of de thre reports prepare by the MUDSCOPE ser ‘ice computer system, The daly report allows the mul engineer fo montor 38 nud properties five mes 2 day and tke corective action the mud goes ou of specification. Mud soecitications are carefully planned foreach sation ofthe hole before ding commences. Mul properies data measure ec ty by the mad engineers and technicians are in black. results computed rom tis ata are i ed 1. General formation on dling ald ening Aourgeye FA lin KK, Cheneert ME ad Young #8: Applied Ding Engineering. icurn, ‘on USA: Soyo Peau Eng, 586 abi He Osuel Desig Eine rips ad Pace. Lard Erland Ceaham and Wetman Lis fed 1985. Moore FL: Ding Pacts Maus 2 Tak, 8 Fran USA Penel Pushing Company, 1908. 2. AP Recreate Sandon Proce ‘oT Ding Pe, AP RP 198, 8. sh Spon, 1, USA: American Peleus, ei Volume 1 Number 2 tt Mark Seco Fore 2 cea F,Ouron WY, Byington WH, Cilmine A ‘and eke DA sincere Apgroch to rile ‘Mnement A perce Costa Nor Se,” bape SEAADC18899, seni atthe 1909. SEhADE Dnllag Contre New Orcas, Louis, USA, Fenny 28 Mach 3 1989 Pp an Hoggan | Goad Techniques Opt ‘mae Cone of Ol aul Muda Solon" OS (Gar ju! 7, .7 ey 13, 1891 35-40 4B The main physical properties of mud, such as density, vis: ceosity, gol steength and percent sand content, collectively indicate whether the mud satisfies the various physical requirements for safe and efficient diling. For example, den- sity (Density) must match that estimated recessary to check formation pressure with ‘out fracturing or damaging the formation. Density is measured with a simple balance labove, right) and adjusted to account for the friction pressure drop in the annulus, siving equivalent circulating density (ECD). ‘The next parameter—% of Cr. vel around! DC— Indicates whether in the most con- stricted annular space, which is at the drill collars (DC), the flow risks becoming turbu lent and consequently capable of eroding the wellbore. The mud engineer must keep the pump rate low to maintain laminar flow, but not so low as to jeopardize eflicient cut- lings removal. Ce. vel refers to the critical velocity corresponding, to a Reynolds num- ber of 2,000, the value usually judged to signal a change from laminar to turbulent ‘low. The critical velocity is calculated from mud density, viscosity, speed and the size of the annulus, thus drawing on numerous data that are all featured in the report Viscosity is measured two ways, one rather crude using a funnel (Funnel viscosity), the other quite sophisticated using a rotating viscometer giving plastic viscosity (PV) and yield point (YP) (righo. Parameters dealing with fluid loss—the buildup of mudcake (cake thickness and fil tate loss (fltrate|—over 30 minutes under 100.pounds per square inch (ps) fferential pressure are measured with a filter press {next page). Physical Properties 44 (DA mud balance for measuring mud density Inequivatent pst por 1,000 fet pounds per gallon, pounds per cubic foot or specific gravity. Simgested procelre fil ‘up otop tap cup to ‘elas rapped ar bub bles; place fd and rotate unt fy seated mak: ing sure some mv i expelled, wipe mud off ‘exterior place balance ‘on kale edge: move rider until balanced read mud weigh. Tis ‘easier to doom land than ‘ofshore Accuracy £0: fygal (0.01 fem}, Mud Balance Viscometers Rotersloere Mud container Litvoviscometers usd atthe wel ste. The Sunnel viscometer le is used for routine measurements. The funnel is 6 inches in camera the top and 12 inches long and contains «art of liquid A couse scron ited over the tp removes foreign mater asthe funnel filled with md. Seggested pro ‘cece: hold fan! upright with index finger over outlet pour mul sample i une! ant evel st reaches the underside of te screen; immediately remove her fiom outlet tube and measure by stop ‘watch the numberof seconds far the mud to low out report unnel viscosity in seconds “The more sophisticated eatonal viscometer measures yield point YP) and pasbe viscosity (PV), fo parameters that characterize mud rheology according to the so-called Bingham model—ta this ‘model, shear ses, and shear rate, are relted linearly: = YP + PV An atematve rheology Inodel, called the power la, relates sear stress and shear rate by:% ky. Accuracy ofPV is 1 con tipo and of ¥P tex liv100 #2. The to parameters fr both formulations are represented n Seco Forex’ MUDSCOPE reper "The rotational viscose turns a rotor sleeve a either of nwo speeds, 300 or 600 revotions per ‘minute, ia cup of mad. The resulting tome on the mud is measured by a concentric bob and ead trough 9 window: The two measurements yield the equied par of parameter. Oilfield Review Filter Press oa hinder sxreen Typical iter pres for measuring mua buildup and fiat os. Nirogen or carbon dhox Jide at 100 pst suse to push the mud hough fi tee paper for 30 minutes High-temperature GOO" (150°C), hh pressure (500 psi irate teste ar leo routine Volume 1 Number 2 a N.VELiIps. ‘OPP Pt pH PIT Pm po. ppg, PPG PV BIH. Spit sic 8G sk SPM ST fraps ToP VOL E% VOusTR, Glossary of Mud Terms ‘Average spect gravily Barrel Bottom shale shaker sereon # Bottoms up (ime for mud to travel up annulus) Cation exchange capactty (measure of a clay's avaliable cationic sites) Gireviaton (ime) Length of heavy weight pine and colas, also called downhole assembly Ciiical velonty for ranstion from laminar to turbulent low Dl colar Dil pipe Drum Equivalent circulating density Flown, before solids control Fresh water High temperature, high peossure (in iat test) Heavy weight pp Parameter in power law formulation of viscosity Potassium chioride Kilogram LLowraravity solids Methyl orange alkalinity of mud fitrate Millgrams per iter Milt's Might Met on (1,000 kiograms) Parameter in power law formulation of viscosity Nozzle velony (bi), feet per second Opposite Phonolphthaloin alkalinity of mud fitate Hydrogen fon concentration: p means negative logaiim, H stands for hyerogen Steel tank containing mud after solids control Phonojphihalein alkalinity of mud Pounds per barrel Pounds per aalon Plastic viscosity Run into hole ‘Surface-to-bit time for mud travel Solids control Specific gravy Sack Strokes per minute (mud pumps) Shor ton (2,000 pounds) Sand reps (in setting tanks below shale shakers) “Top shale shaker screen # Volumetric efcienoy (mud pumps) Volume per stroke (mud puryes) Yield point y-seconds of an inch Setting velocity in mud for 3,5: and 10-mm cutings 45, Chemical Properties ae The mud engineer ‘monitors chemical data closely t0 en- sure that the mud a pH or ion concen- tration that inhibits the action of poly- mers, thinners or ‘ther chemicals controlling viscosity and fluid loss. series of tiration measurements, susceptible to considerable inaccuracies under field conditions, yields mud filtrate alkalinity (Py and Mj), mud alkalinity (Fy), chlorides concentration (chlorides), and hardness (Car* and Mg**). Another rather Unreliable measurement yields potassium concentration (KCI equivalent) using a pre- cipitation reaction in sodium perchlorate: potassium is added to mud to stabilize shales. Laslly, pH is measured using either litmus paper strips, unreliable in salty muds, ‘or mote reliably with a meter (above, right. The third group under mud proper- ties constitutes the so-called mass bal ance analysis of the tude indicates the rue’ relative volue metric proportions ‘of water, oil, low- sravity solids and high-gravity solids—96 water, % oll % LCS, % HES respectively. Lowgraity solids ave dal cuttings and bentonite having densities generally less than 3 g/cm. High-gravity solids are additives such as barite wed 10 ‘weight up mud. They have densities above 4 fem? and are expensive. Mass balance anal- si tells the mud engineer how much bate Femains in the mud, how much is therefore being ejected by solids removal, and, ulti- mately, whether corrective action in solids conto is equire for economic reasons ‘Mass balance analysis begins with esti mating the density ofthe mud’ brine phase, Prune: Based on tation analysis and gener- al knowledge ofthe mul the mud engineer chooses one of eight mud types, each com- prising up to seven chemical components {See "Chemical Components of Seven Mud Types.” next page, bottom). For the KC- polymer mud of the example, the “KCl treated” mud type would be picked with is components: NaOH or KOH, KCl, NaCl, CaCl, MgCl, CO-~ and COS. & come 46 [Dippical analytical pH meter showing probe and reference solution pputer program then derives volumetric pro- portions for every component from the titra- tion measurements, calculating the soluble portion of each component and also if the ‘component is saturating the mud, its insolu- ble portion. The program, using data on how much of each component makes up the brine, then calculates brine density. The next information for the mass balance analysis is obtained using a well ste retort, a device that bakes a sample of mud to sepa- rate fluids from solids by evaporation (below), The fluids are collected in a mea- suring tube, where oil and water, assuming booth are present, can be separately idler fied, Solids remain as a residue, The retort measurement yields volumetric proportions: °% solid, % water and % oll. The solids per- ‘centage is the sum ofthe unknown low. and Retort Heating eemont Sample [Bypical retot used to measure slid ant ull \olumetic percentages of mud samples. Seco Forex engineers have improved retort accuracy by adding a thermostat to regulate the baking process and replacing the usuel solid metal con denser with a water-cooled heat exchanger tat ‘oni oll condensation ofall apo high-gravity percentages, and also brine salts that were estimated earlier % solid = % LGS + % HGS + % salts Black type indicates measured or inferred data. Red type indicates an unknown, “he final data for the mass balance analy- sis is mud density, Py (Density in the Flr ids Management Repord. Mud density can be expressed in terms of its components’ densities, all of which can be estimated: Parad = % LGS Prcs+ % HOS Pras + % brine Poine + % Ol Poy Simultaneously solving these wo equa- tions yields the low. and high gravity volu- metric percentages, % LGS and % HGS. ‘To summarize, the mud properties data, stored in the well site desktop computer, tells the mud engineer ata glance whether the mud is in specification. Redressing mud to specification, however, requires more than computers. The mud engineer must draw on experience and knowledge of mud additives to select how much of what will pull the mud back into line. The COM: MENTS section at the bottom right of the fluids management report records the changes forthe day (befow). Towards 1,300 hhouts, three factors warned the engineer of polymer depletion, Plastic viscosity (PV) and yield point (YP) were steadily decreas ing, t© 16 and 12 respectively, and high- pressure, high-temperature fluid-loss (PFT) was increasing, to 13.8. Three-hun- dred seventy bartels of new mud were therefore ackled to the systern using a mix- ture of polymers, some to contiol fui, ‘others to. maintain viscosity. Measurements later in the day showed improvement in all three parameters. [Comments section ofthe daly Fluids Manage ‘ment Report. The mad engineer describes mixing ‘mere polymer to recess the rheology and uid Ise characteristics of the mud. What the Additives Do Aporrerzadinep he ecenol we ac wt mec mommcaatt arttie eae creas 7 notin perarvacenr st monet 7 ‘eroalpoe pero oan aca ert y aren ee 2 ‘ya pig ceanen PASTE ‘Two More Reports Helping the engineer track what has been added t0 the mud system are two more daily reports: the Material Consumption Sheet and Product Concentrations (above ‘and right). The Material Consumption Sheet combines an inventory of products at the well site with a record of what’s been used that day and individual and cumulative costs, Product Concentrations calculates the theoretical concentration of each additive before and after the day's changes, and includes the cost per barrel of the day's additions. Per diem and cumulative costs are brought forward tothe bottom lel ofthe Fluids Management Report for reference. Product Concentrations also shows how ‘many exira bartels the day’s additions have Contributed to the total mud system (total add), This number is brought forward to the ‘MUD VOLUMES section of the Fluids Man- agement Repor. These reports, a develop- ‘ment from pioneering mud control work by Garry Hanni of Amoco (UK) Exploration Co., ate crucial for maintaining mud to specification at minimum cost tw statin state st oee A Volumos. Concentrations and costs [Material Consumption Sheet lop and Prod Concentrations keep tack of mud additives and their cost 4 Han G"Weshees Can Tally Ol Ma gedit, {Gt Une ean” CM & as una 2.5 tech 1986) #0595 Oitbased | Ollbased | FrestvBrackish | Lime. ‘Gypsum Ko. ‘Saturated | Mixed Salt (CaCl) | (Nactbnne) | Sea Water treated treated treated Nacl | ¢vaClikClony) aOR Naar CalOHI CalOHI GafOH) | NSOHSKOH | NaOH NaOH or KOH CaCl, NaOH acl ach: caso, Kel cha) kel Nacl NaOH Nacl Nach Nec Nacl gO, MaGh Mac, Cec, Ceci, 0s Mach MaCl, COs: C05 00, Hoos Hoo. Volume 1 Number 2 47 Monitoring mud volume has several purposes. Account- ing for every bartel ‘of mud is crucial for ‘economic operation and mandatory for safe drilling and sat- istying environmen- tal regulations. Total mud yolume, including active volume, ‘meaning mud being circulated, and reserve volume, meaning mud mixed and ready to bbe added to the active system, is brought forward from the previous day: its 1,935, barels in the example report (below, left). ‘The active volume can be derived by sum- ‘ming the volumes of each part ofthe circu- lating system—open hole, casing, riser, traps, tanks and pits—and subtracting the volume taken up by the drill string. The reserve is measured directly from the reserve pit. These data and calculations form the top part of the MUD VOLUMES section of the Fluids Management Report The day's activites are represented by additions, such as mud added for dilution (nixed/dilurion), and subiraetions, such as losses at the surface due to leaks and spills during trips, losses because of discharge from solids Control equipment or downhole losses due to seepage into the formation or lost circulation, Accounting for these losses remains challenge for mud engineers. Losses at the surface can only be estimated—the very ature of a spill generally precludes measur- ing itn theory, downhole losses can be cal- culated using models of mudcake buildup, and subsequent seepage into the formation, But in practice the models are crude are too much information about the subsurface is Unavailable. Losses from solids control ‘equipment are impossible to measure direct- ly without a quantum leap in sensor devel- ‘opment and capital expense. Currently, losses are estimated by compar- ing the total mud volume from day to day, in the example 1,935 to 2,106 barrels represent- ing an increase of 171 barrels, and subtact- ing the dilution volume of 390 bartels o give a net loss of 219 barrels. Of these, 80 barrels were judged to have been dumped when the sand taps were emptied, and the remainder ‘was split between the shale shakers and other solids control equipment. [Senahsi [cet bn [Bast [Mud volume section of the Fluids Management Report enables mud engineer check must los sand ensure enough mud is available fr ste ‘ailing Performance Factors Controlling the mud bill obviously means minimizing losses and! monitoring use of expensive actives such as polymers and barite. Reservoir development can be made rote efficient by comparing, mud cost efiec- tiveness from one well to the next. For this, mud engineers use performance indicators such as the consumption factor, the mud volume used per foot drilled. The consump- tion factor is estimated for each interval of the well in which bit size is constant, and ‘may be compared to values for similar inter- vals in adjacent wells. Data from two North Sea wells drilled with oil-base mud (see “Mud Consumption, Well-to-Well,” below) show that lessons learned during the dilling ‘fan offset well helped reduce mud con- sumption in two out of three intervals in a nearby well. Sedco Forex engineers are investigating using similar techniques with fluid consumption and fluid dilution factors. ‘Offset Well | New Well ‘rel of m/e ited ‘To compare mud costs between intervals in the same well, consumption must be normalized to volume of formation drilled, to compensate for hole size changes. Data from the nearby well (See “Single-Well Mud Consumption Analysis,” below) show how mud consumption varied between inter- vals. Consumption generally increased with depth and was particularly lage in the 8- Yfe-inch interval. This was caused by ‘weighting up the mud to fight high-pressure zones, which subsequently caused lost cir ‘culation. Stil, as the previous data showed, mud consumption under these tough con- «les first and then progressively the finer paticles. Mud returning fo the sutface pass- 65 fist to shale shakers, These machines have one or more vibrating mesh screens ‘that sieve large particles and discard them to the mud pit ight). The finest mesh, #200, stops particles about 75 jim in diameter, ‘which i just larger than the largest barte panicles Liquid mud and smaller particles meanwhile flow through the mesh to a set. ting tank and are eventually pumped to the next piece of solids control equipment Particles smaller than 75 to 100 ym are removed by desanders, desilters and mud ‘cleaners all of which use a device called a hydrocyclone to separate out solids (next ‘page, (op), The mud is propelled at high speed into the top of an inverted cone along ‘a tangent. The centrifugal forces caused by the resulting spiralling motion press the lang ‘et and heavier solids to the side of the cone ‘where they slowly drift down and are finally discarded, The remaining fluid and smaller particles are forced tothe center of the cone ‘and ejected out ofthe top. These then pass to the next piece of solids control equip- ment, Hydrocyelone cone diameters range from 4 1012 inches, the smaller the diame- tr, the finer the material discarded, In theo- 50. Cuttings Cleaned mud CA shale shakes, workhorse of olds control. Md ising rom the wel sed 09t0 the top, usually oni sceen. Large cutngs ae eae by the screen and daar nt the mud pit. The lower, fret scroen removes smaller solids, Traditionally the screens are agitated ina circular motion, Recently, less plugging ofthe screens by cutngs has been noted with a nev type of shale seer using linear moti. Traditionally screen meshes are square, the size bein closed by an API qumber Arsesh’ ability {cach soles fs classified by ts cut pon, the particle size that has @ 50 percent chance of bein retained-paticls smaller than the mesh’ ct potn wil likely pass, particles lager han the cut point Wil ely be retained The coarsest mesh, #10, sa cut pot of 2 millimeters (nm). The finest mesh, 1200, has a cut point of 74 microns um) (1,000 um = | mn, Recently Inzoduced rectangular and ‘other shape! meses donot i the API scheme, and her performance rust be compared with tad tional meshes by expornonr. Nonsquare meshes are designated bya fetter and a numba nthe Fluids ‘Management Report “7. For ganerl information on solids contol Mate PL Ding Pracce Manuel dnl ed Toa, hao, USA Penn Wel Publishing Compr 1905 Oilfield Review Hydrocyclone Cleaned mud schematic ofa hycrocyelone used 0 separate fine soli em drilling mud. The mud is ijeced at highspeed along a tangent atthe top of an invered cone, Cents forces separate the Solid tha fg the cone’s perimeter and descend by ravty othe bottom ejection port. The mud, ‘meanwhile, stays nea the center and is propelled ‘out ofthe ep, ydrcyelones come in sovwal sizes fi 410 12 inches in dlanieter at the too, the smaller ones lscarding finer material. Hydrocyeones are the Teast eiable ofall sods control equipment Their performance depends on mud rheology and density and powertl centitugal pumps Feauled to propel the mud into the hycocyclone {end to breakup cutings into smaller pieces making solids contol uitimstely more dificul. Volume 1 Number 2 1y,a dinch hydrocyclone discards particles as small as 15 um. Hydrocyclones are arranged several ways, ‘A desander comprises one or two large- ameter hydrocyclones working in tandem, ‘A desilter comprises several of 4-Inch diame ter In the mud cleaner, 8 oF 10 ofthe smallest dlameters are arranged above atank where the discarded sols ae saved through a very fine screen designed to pass barit and smal cer paricles (below). The barite Is saved and ‘mixed back ino the mud. - To discard the finest solids, in panicular colloidal sized particles, mud engineers use a decanting centrifuge, Not available on every ti and used selectively when avail ablo, this machine removes colloids that are Creating too much viseosity. The device Comprises an Archimedes! screw that rotates slowly inside a conical tube that rotates at high speed in the same direction (next page, bottom). As mud is introduced in the middle ‘of the screw, centrifugal forces separate solids from liquids. Centrifuges accommo- date small flow rates and can only be used {otreata faction ofthe mud flow. In theory, the available equipment offers substantial flexibility more or less any size particle can be discarded or retained (next page, op). In practice, some equipment is ‘more reliable than others, and performance ‘may depend on fluid theology and flow rate, Sedo Forex engineers and researchers at Schlumlerger Cambridge Rsearch, Eng- Jand have shown that the most reliable ‘equipment i the shale shaker? Equipped with very fine screens, this equipment can contral solids down to 75 um, the top limit of bait, Its operation is relatively uninflu ‘enced by mud properties. The performance ‘of hydrocyclone devices, however, depends ‘greatly on fluid density and rheology. One 4sinch hydrocyclone, rated to discard part ‘les as small as 15 um, failed to discard par licles 10 times that size. The Cambridge researchers also found thatthe centrifugal pumps requited to pump mud into hydrocy-

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