Soran University

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Petroleum Engineering

Drilling Engineering I [ PETE 308]

Title: Mud Weighting

Experiment No.: 2
Name: Muhammad Sulaimon Rasul
Group: B2
Date: 24 SEP 2019
Supervisors: Dr. Jagar Ali, Mr. Fouad, Mr. Rawezh, Ms. Marriam
Contents
Aim………………………………………………………………………………………….…….1
Theory…………………………………………………………………………………….…….…1
Apparatus…………………………………………………………...…………………………..…2
Calibration………………………………………………………………………...………...……..3
Procedure………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Calculation………………………………………………………………………………...………5
Result and Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...6
References…………………………………………………………………………………………7

List of Figures
Fig1. Electronic Balance ………………………………………………………………………….2
Fig2. Bentonite ………………………………………………………………...………………….2
Fig3. A 25ml Cylinder ………………………………………………...………………………….2
Fig4. Electronic mud mixer …………………………………………...………………………….2
Fig5. A 500ml Cylinder …………………………………………….…………………………….2
Fig6. Mud Balance ………………………………………………….…………………………….2
Fig7. Lab Spatula ……………………………………………………...………………………….2
Fig8. A 10ml Cylinder …………………………………………...……………………………….2
Fig9. Barite ……………………………………………………………………………………….2
Fig10. Mud Balance …………………………………………………..………………………….3

List of Tables
Table 1: Experimental and Theorical Results……………………………………………………..6
Aim
This experiment will explain a procedure to get drilling mud with a range of density that
requires for maintaining the borehole pressure as drilling goes dipper, the objective is generating
a drilling mud; then it requires to rise the density by 0.1ppg and getting a drilling mud that is more
dens.

Theory
Drilling mud is a mixture of water and mud (Clay) addition to some other minerals and
special chemical materials called “additives” (Kate, 1998), that used to maintain well stability
during the process of drilling. Sometimes mud can be non-aqueous regarding to well condition
that Oil-Base Mud used (Simon, 2017). A Successful drilling operation is requiring a good quality
of drilling fluid (Darley et al.,1988).

The composition that required for drilling mud is depend upon the formation stability which
wells are drill through formations with a different type of compositions that require different types
of mud composition (Simon, 2017). The most used mud and common one is liquid-based mud
which usually composed of a based fluid such as (Oil or Water) with some weighting additives
such as Bentonite and Barite and also drilling fluid may contains air (Ofi Testing Equipment
inc.,2003).

The density of drilling mud is one of the important parameters which should be first
considered. It was a definition regarding to American Petroleum Institute is matter measured per
unit volume which expressed in pounds per gallon (ppg) (Simon, 2017).
The density is one of parameters that controls formation pressure to avoid the blowout, and it
should be accurately measured in order to provide a sufficient hydrostatic pressure over the
formation pressure in order to avoid caving (Geehan et al.,1989; Kruse, 1975).

Weighting martials such as Bararite and Clay are used in order to enhance the density of mud
system. Increasing solid contents regarding to their type and the amount; will affect on mud
properties. Low density muds are typically used in drilling situations that mud density are less than
10ppg and also circulation rate is high enough to get cuttings out of the well (Simon, 2017).
Another situation is while the weight of mud gets high in which effect on increasing viscosity and
gel strength of mud, that can directly have an effect on the circulation rate and slowing the drilling
process (Simon, 2017).

1
Apparatus and Materials
Materials: Bentonite Clay (20.8 Ib/gal), Water (8.33 Ib/gal), Barite (35.8ppg)

Apparatus and Equipment’s: Electronic Balance, Mud Balance, Electronic Mixer, 500ml
Cylinder, 25ml Cylinder, 10ml cylinder.

Fig1. Electronic Balance: Fig2. Bentonite: Is a martial Fig3. A 25ml

Is used to measure mass in used to mix with water to Cylinder: Measures
gm(s). create a drilling mud water volume in (ml).

Fig4. Electronic mud mixer: Fig5. A 500ml Fig6. Mud Balance is a

Is a device used to mix Cylinder: Measures device used to measure
liquid with solid particles. water volume in (ml). density.
Calibration

Fig7. Lab Spatula: used to Fig8. A 10ml Fig9. Barite: Is a weighting

mix water and solid Cylinder: Measures martial used to increase
particles manually. water volume in (ml). density of drilling mud.

2
Calibration

Calibration should be executed for the mud balance for being sure if the mud balance is working
correctly or not before putting a for the mud balance for being sure if the mud balance is working
correctly or not before putting a mud to measuring. However, there is some procedures for
calibrating mud balance as the following steps:

1. Remove the lid and completely dry and clean the cup leaving no impurities in the cup then
filling it with distillated water.
2. Then Replace the lid and clean it till gets dry.
3. Put the balance arm to its place and be sure that you correctly placed knife-edge on fulcrum.
4. Now, by looking the level inside the glass should be centered when the rider put on
8.33ppg. If it doesn’t, this mean that the device is not accurate and should be repaired.

NOTE: An error has accorded about 0.02 more than actual value (8.33 ppg), during the
calibration due to not using fresh water.

Fig10. Mud Balance is a device using for measuring density. It consists of seven parts as
showed above.

3
Procedure

1. First the volume of water must be calculated which it’s (236.74 cc) regarding to the
calculations and filling 500ml cylinder till 200ml and bring another cylinder with volume
of 25 ml to making volume more accurate and fill it till 25ml then bring one more cylinder
with volume of 10ml and fill it until 1.74cc and put both 25ml and 10ml to 500ml cylinder.
2. As the Bentonite has measured before which has mass of 20.6275gm. The amount of
20.6275gm of Bentonite should measure using an electronic balance.
3. Then take off all water inside the electronic mixer and carefully turn it on.
4. Now while the mixer is working, add the Bentonite a little by little into the water to avoid
stacking of mixture.
5. After putting all Bentonite inside water while its mixing together, wait about 3-4 min till it
fully get mixed.
6. Now remove a cup from the mixer and take it to the mud balance. After that remove the
lid and put the mud inside the cup and replace lid again. Be sure that you cleaned all mud
outside the cup.
7. Move the Rider until the level bubble gets centered and read the weigh on balance arm. It
should be 8.75ppg.
8. After that, remove lid again and pour all mud into the cub of mixer and bring it to mixer
again.
9. Now after the mass of Barite has measured in calculations which its (3.909gm). This
amount of Barite should measure with electronic balance.
10. After that put this 3.909gm of barite slightly to the mud while the mixer is working as
mentioned before.
11. Wait about 2-3 min again till solid particles of Barite gets mixed with the mud and be sure
that all particles have mixed well.
12. Now again remove the cub carefully and bring a mud balance; then remove a lid again and
fill it with mud, then shake 3-4 times to be sure the cub has filled %100.
13. Replace the lid and put the arm on its place and move the rider till the level bubble gets
centered and read the ppg line on the arm. It must be 8.85 ppg.

4
Calculation

5
Result and Discussion

Materials Volume (cc) Density (ib/gal) Mass (gm)

Water 236.74 8.33 -
Bentonite Clay 8.251 20.8 20.6275
Barite 0.909 35.8 3.909 (1)
First-Mud 235 8.7 -
Second-Mud - 8.8 -

Table 1: Experimental and Theorical Results

The Results was something far from the expectations that is due to some errors might
happened during the procedures. By looking the final result there is 0.05 error caused at the first
Mud during filling the cylinders which either filled with more water or it belongs to that particles
of mud which have left from the edge of cup that may totally not been mixed with water. The first
error is more reliable for causing this error which it is exceeding the amount of water more than
that required. At the second mud also, there is %5 error which belongs to the first reason as
mentioned above (caused by first error) and also during the experiment about 0.25gm of barite has
been added to the mud expect the theorical mass of bentonite. Accurate preparing of martials will
avoid this kind of errors.

Conclusion

Performing this kind of experiment’s make students engage more and gain ability to generate
drilling mud as recommended and also increasing mud weight regarding to the formation using
another material named Barite.

____________________________________

(1) The Theorical value of Barite mass was 3.909gm but then; in the experiment, about 0.25gm has been added
to the theorical mass in order to rise the amount of density for the second mud; that has been lost due to an
error at first mud density.
6
References
1. Darley, H.C.H. and Gray, G.R. (1988): The composition and Properties of Drilling and
Completion Fluids. 5th Ed. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston Texas. pp 110.

2. Kate, V.D. (1998): Drilling Fluids, Mud Pumps and Conditioning Equipment.

3. Ofi Testing Equipment, Inc. (2003). Extreme Pressure and Akaranta, O. and Osuji, L.C.
(1997): Carboxylmethylation of orange mesocarp Cellulose and its utilization in Drilling
mud formulation. International Journal for Physics, Chemistry and Technology of
Cellulose and Lignin 31, pp 193-198.Lubricity Tester Instruction Manual.

4. Geehan, T. and Mc Kee.A. (1989): Drilling Muds. Monitoring and Managing it. Oilfield
Review 1(2), pp 41-52.

5. Kruse, C.F. (1975): Lessons in Rotary Drilling, Unit II-Lesson 2 “Drilling Mud”. 12th
Edition. Published by Petroleum Extension Service Industrial and Business Training
Bureau Division of Extension, The University of Texas. Pp 1-47.

6. Herzon, S. (2017). LABORATORY PRACTICAL REPORT ON THE FACTORS THAT

AFFECTS THE PROPERTIES OF THE DRILLING MUD DURING DRILLING
PROCESS. [online] academia.edu. Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/35123831/LABORATORY_REPORT_ON_THE_FACTORS
_THAT_AFFECT_THE_PROPERTIES_OF_DRILLING_MUD [Accessed 27 Sep.
2019].