MUD RHEOLOGY

Rheology

Rheology is the study of

how matter deforms and flows

VISCOSITY
Viscosity

Resistance to flow of a fluid

FUNNEL VISCOSITY
 Viscosity

z 100 centipoise (cp) = 1 poise

z Centipoise is the dimension used to

express:
z Plastic viscosity
z Apparent viscosity
z Effective viscosity
Effective Viscosity

300 x Dial Reading

EV =
RPM

EV = Effective Viscosity, centipoise

Viscosity

The dimensions of lb/100 sq ft are used

for expressing:
z Yield point
z Initial gel
z 10-minute gel
Viscosity

Shear Stress
Shear Rate
Viscosity

Force
Velocity
or
Dial Reading
RPM
SHEAR STRESS

z Internal force that resists flow

z System pressure loss (circulating

pressure on the rig)

z Simulated by the dial reading on a V G

meter
SHEAR RATE

The velocity at which one layer of fluid moves past another

Annulus

Drill String

Formation
SHEAR RATE

z The bulk (average) velocity at which a

fluid is moving

z Annular velocity in the circulating

system is an example of bulk velocity

z Velocity is the RPM on a V G meter

Viscosity

Dial reading
RPM
Factors Influenced by Mud
Rheology

z Hole cleaning
z Suspension of solids
z Hole stability
z Solids control
z Equivalent circulating densities
z Surge / swab pressures
Measurement - Rotational
Viscometer
Torsion Spring

Inner Cylinder

Bearing Shaft

Rotor

Bob

Cup
Effect of Temperature &
Pressure

z Temperature reduces viscosity

z Pressure increases viscosity
z High temperature
Î Breakdown of polymers
Î Gelation of solids
Plastic Viscosity

Resistance to flow due to mechanical

friction

Affected by:
z Solids concentration

z Size and shape of the solids

z Viscosity of the fluid phase

Plastic Viscosity Increased
by:

Hydratable Drill Solids

Î Clays, shales

Inert Drill Solids

Î Sand, limestone, etc.

Colloidal Matter
Î Starch, CMC
Plastic Viscosity Increased
by:

z Particles breaking, thus increasing

surface area and more friction

z Weight material to increase density

Area Increase by Breaking
of Solids

6-inch cube

1-inch cube
1-foot cube
VOLUME SURFACE AREA
1 cu ft = 1728 cu in 1 cu ft = 864 sq in
8 6-in cubes = 1728 cu in 8 6-in cubes = 1728 sq in
1728 1-in cubes = 1728 cu in 1728 1-in cubes = 10,368 sq in
10,368 - 864 = 9504 sq in increase
Effect of Particle Size on
Viscosity
Apparent Viscosity, cP
200

160
0-3 Barite

120
Regular Barite

80

40
10 11 12 13 14 15
Mud Weight, ppg
 PV, YP vs Mud Wt. ppg

PV & YP v. Mud Wt, lbs/gal

50

45
Plastic Viscosity, Yield Point & MBT

40
Max Recommended PV
35

30

25

20 Max Recommended MBT

15

10
Max Recommended YP
5

0
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Mud Weight, lbs/gal
Plastic Viscosity
Decreased by:

Removal of Solids

z Shale shaker

z Desanders, desilters, and centrifuges

z Lowering of gel strength allows larger

particles to settle out

z Dilution of solids with water

How Solids Affect Mud
Viscosity
Viscosity No Alternative -
Water must be
added because
chemical is not
effective

Add Add More

Chemical Chemical

Low Gravity Solids

Yield Point

Resistance to flow due to dispersion or

attraction between solids

Affected by:
z Type of solids and associated charges

z Concentration of these solids

z Dissolved salts
Yield Point Increased by:

z Hydratable drilled clay and shale

increasing reactive solids content

z Insufficient concentration of
deflocculants
Yield Point Increased by:

z Over-treatment with Soda Ash or Sodium

Bicarbonate results in
carbonate/bicarbonate contamination

z Adding inert solids (like barite) crowds

reactive solids closer together resulting in
an increase of attractive forces
Yield Point Increased by:

z Contaminants
Î Salt, cement, anhydrite, acid gases, etc.

neutralizes charges of clay particles

causing flocculation

z Fracturing clay particles causes residual

forces to be left on particle edges resulting
in flocculation
Yield Point Decreased by:

z Neutralizing broken bond valences on

the edges of clay particles by adsorbing
negative ions from lignite,
lignosulfonate, phosphates, etc.
z Removing the contaminating ion
(calcium or magnesium) causing the
flocculation by precipitating the ion with
soda ash, sodium bicarbonate or
phosphates.
Yield Point Decreased by:

z The addition of water will minimize

flocculation, but is not the solution.
z Flocculation is a chemistry problem and
must be treated with a chemical.
z Large additions of water also reduces the
mud weight. This may require large
additions of weight material, which
could be very expensive.
Interpretation of
VG Values

Increasing YP with little or no change in

PV indicates a chemistry problem, which
can be reduced by adding chemical
deflocculants only

Increasing PV with little or no change in

the YP indicated a solids problem, which
can be reduced by the adding water or
proper use of solids control equipment
Interpretation of
VG Values

Simultaneous Large Increases in Both YP and

PV usually indicates an increase in the
reactive clay content of the mud.

This should be treated with additions of both

water and chemical de-flocculants.
Gel Strength

Gel structure develops when the mud is static as

reactive clay particles slowly slowly move about
(Browning Motion), seeking out other reactive
clay particles and linking up with each other in a
positive-to-negative manner with respect to each
other to form a gel structure.
Gel strength is a function of time, temperature,
concentration and strength of attractive particles.
Gel Strength

Gel Strengths decrease the settling rate of

cuttings when circulation is interrupted
 PROGRESSIVE

Gels

FRAGILE

Time
Problems Attributed to High
Viscosity and Gel Strengths

z More pump pressure to break circulation

z Lost circulation by pressure surges

z Swabbing of shale and formation fluids

into wellbore

z Abrasive sand being carried in mud

 Thixotropy

zThixotropy:

Shear Stress
z Due to the clay platelets
arranging themselves in Increasing
positions of free energy. Shear Rate
Gel Strength
Decreasing
z With time a greater force Shear Rate

than the YP is required to Yield Point

get the fluid moving

again Shear Rate

z Gel Strength (lbs/100ft2)

z Yield Point (lbs/100 ft2)
Shear Stress

Rapid increase in shear rate C

EQUILIBRIUM CURVE
B A
Slow increase

in shear rate

Rapid decrease in shear rate

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Shear Rate
Types of Fluids

Newtonian

Non-Newtonian
Newtonian Fluids

Shear stress is directly proportional to

shear rate,

i.e., viscosity (shear stress/shear rate) is

constant regardless of shear rate.

Yield Point = 0
Newtonian Fluids

If the 600 dial reading is twice the 300 dial

reading, the fluid is Newtonian

NEWTONIAN
600 DR = 80
300 DR = 40
Newtonian Fluid Fluids

SHEAR STRESS

SHEAR RATE
Non-Newtonian Fluids

z Viscosity depends on the rate of shear

z Does not exhibit a linear relationship

z Shear thinning (as the shear rate is increased,

the shear stress increases at a lower rate than

that of the shear rate, making it less than a
proportional increase)
zWhen in laminar flow they are thinner at high

shear rates than at low shear rates

Non-Newtonian Fluids

If the 600 dial reading is less than twice the

300 dial reading, the fluid is shear
thinning or Non-Newtonian

NON-NEWTONIAN
600 DR = 68
300 DR = 40
Non-Newtonian Fluids

SHEAR STRESS

SHEAR RATE
Rheological Models

Bingham Plastic

Power Law
Bingham Plastic Model

FANN DIAL READING

40
600 = 40
25 300 = 25
PV = 15
YP = 10
10

0
300 600

RPM
Bingham Plastic Equation

R
F = YP + PV
300

PV = Plastic Viscosity
YP = Yield Point
R = RPM Rotary Speed
F = Dial Reading at Speed R
Power Law Model

SHEAR STRESS

.25
0
= 5
n 0.
=
n
1
=
n

SHEAR RATE
Power Law Equation

F = K (RPM)n

F = Shear Stress, dial units

RPM = Shear Rate, pump speed
K = Consistency Index
n = Power Law Index
n Value

z Power law index

z Indicates the shear thinning ability of a

fluid

z As “n” decreases, the fluid becomes more

shear thinning
n Value for Drill Pipe

np = 3.32 log (R600/R300)

n Value for Annulus

na = .657 log (R100/R3)

What Causes n to Increase

z Removal of reactive solids

z Addition of chemical thinners

z (i.e., anything that will reduce the Yield

Point)
What Causes n to
Decrease

z Addition of reactive solids

z Chemical contamination

z (I.e., anything that will increase the Yield

Point)
K Value

z Consistency Index

z Indicates a system’s viscosity at low shear

rates (1 reciprocal second)

z Influenced by viscosifier and solids

concentration
K Value for Drill Pipe

5.11 R300
Kp = np
511
K Value for Annulus

5.11 R3
Ka = na
5.11
What Causes K to Increase

z Addition of both reactive and non-

reactive solids

z Chemical contamination

z (i.e., anything that will result in an

increase in viscosity)
What Causes K to
Decrease

z Removal of reactive and non-reactive

solids

z Addition of chemical deflocculants

z (i.e., anything that will result in a

reduction in viscosity)
Rheological Models

VG Meter Dial Readings

80
Bingham Plastic

60
Typical Drlg. Fluid

40
Power Law

20

Newtonian

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

RPM
RHEOLOGICAL
FLOW REGIMES
Flow Regime
Determination

z Reynold’s number

z Wellbore geometry

z Fluid properties
Reynold’s Number

Function of:

z Mud weight

z Hole geometry

z Flow rate

z Fluid viscosity
 928 DV (MW)
RN =
µ

D = Hydraulic diameter, in
V = Velocity, ft/sec
MW = Mud weight, lb/gal
µ = Viscosity, cp
Stage 1: No Flow

Annulus
Drill String

Formation
Stage 2: Plug Flow

Annulus
Drill String

Formation
Stage 3: Transition
(Plug to Laminar)

Annulus
Drill String

Formation
Stage 4: Laminar
(Streamline) Flow

Annulus

Formation
Drill String
Stage 5: Transition (Laminar
to Turbulent)

Annulus
Drill String

Formation
Stage 6: Turbulent Flow

Fully developed eddy currents

Annulus
Drill String

Formation
Reynold’s Number

< 2100 Laminar

2100 - 4100 Transitional
> 4100 Turbulent

Normally we assume turbulent flow

when the Reynolds Number > 2100
Type of Flow

Dye Laminar Flow

Water

Dye Turbulent Flow

Water
Circulating System Shear
Rates
Shear Rates in the Circulating System

Section Shear Rate s-1 Pressure Drop Equivalent

of Section Rheometer rpm
Drill String 170 -10,000 20 - 45 100 and above
Bit 10,000 -100,000 40 - 75 None
Annulus 5 - 170 2-5 3 - 100
Pits 0-3 n/a 0-3
SCE* 170 - 1000 n/a 100 - 600

*Solids Control Equipment

z This demonstrates the importance of low

end rheologies in cleaning the annulus.
Annular Geometry

Surface Annular Geometry

Surface Casin g
D. P.& Ca sin g
Drill Pipe

Interm ediate Casin g

Liner } D . P.& Liner

}
} D. P.& Open Hole
Drill Collars
O pen H ole D rillC ollars & O . H ole
Drill Bit
Sequence of Pipe and
Annular Calculations
Mud Prop
Geometries
Flow Rate

Calculate Calculate Calculate Calculate Calculate

n K Bulk Effective Reynolds
value value Velocity Viscosity Number

Calculate If Rnum ≤ 2100 If Rnum> 2100 Calculate

Laminar Turbulent
Fric Factor Fric Factor

Calculate ∆P for next interval until last interval calculated

Calculate Save
Interval Interval Total Annular:
After ∆P Calculated for all intervals
∆P ∆P Interval Calculate End

∆Ps ECD