Al-ayen university

College of petroleum engineering

_____________________
Drilling Engineering
functions and Types drilling fluid

student name : Hussien Ali Lafta

Functions of Drilling fluid :
1- Remove cuttings from well : Drilling fluid carries the
rock excavated by the drill bit up to the surface. Its ability
to do so depends on cutting size, shape, and density, and
speed of fluid traveling up the well .
2-Suspend and release cuttings : keep the cutting
suspended when we needed to lifting pipes or stopped
circulation.
3- Control formation pressures : If formation pressure
increases, mud density should also be increased to
balance pressure and keep the wellbore stable. The most
common weighting material is barite. Unbalanced
formation pressures will cause an unexpected influx (also
known as a kick) of formation fluids in the wellbore
possibly leading to a blowout from pressured formation
fluids
Hydrostatic Pressure = density of * true vertical * acceleration
. drilling fluid depth of gravity
If hydrostatic pressure is greater than or equal to
formation pressure, formation fluid will not flow into the
wellbore .
4- Seal permeable formations : Mud column pressure
must exceed formation pressure, in this condition mud
filtrate invades the formation, and a filter cake of mud is
deposited on the wellbore wall. Mud is designed to
deposit thin, low permeability filter cake to limit the
invasion
5- Cool, lubricate, and support the bit and drilling
assembly : Heat is generated from mechanical and
hydraulic forces at the bit and when the drill string rotates
and rubs against casing and wellbore
Cool and transfer heat away from source and lower to
temperature than bottom hole.If not, the bit, drill string
and mud motors would fail more rapidly.Lubrication
based on the coefficient of friction ,Poor lubrication
causes high torque and drag, heat checking of the drill
string, but these problems are also caused by key seating,
poor hole cleaning and incorrect bottom hole assemblies
design.

6- Maintain wellbore stability : Chemical composition

and mud properties must combine to provide a stable
wellbore. Weight of the mud must be within the
necessary range to balance the mechanical
forces.Wellbore instability = sloughing formations, which
can cause tight hole conditions, bridges and fill on trips
(same symptoms indicate hole cleaning problems).
Wellbore stability = hole maintains size and cylindrical
shape.

7-Transmit hydraulic energy to tools and bit :Hydraulic

energy provides power to mud motor for bit rotation and
for MWD (measurement while drilling) and LWD (logging
while drilling) tools. Hydraulic programs base on bit
nozzles sizing for available mud pump horsepower to
optimize jet impact at bottom well.
8- reducing load :Drilling fluids also support portion of
drill-string or casing through buoyancy. Suspend in
drilling fluid, buoyed by force equal to weight (or
density) of mud, so reducing hook load at derrick.
9- lifting a Geological samples : to know type of layers
and Then send it to the laboratory
----------------------------------------------------

Types of drilling fluid :

1-non dispersed , there are maybe consist of spud mud ,
natural muds and other lightly treated systems generally
use for shallow wells or top hole drilling.
2-dispersed . at greater depths or where hole
conditions may be problematic , mud are often
dispersed , typically by means of lignosulphonates or
other deflocculants. these and similar products are also
effective filtrate reducers
3-calcium treated . divalent cations such calcium and
magnesium , when added to a mud , inhibit the swelling
of formation clays and shale , and are therefore added
to control sloughing shale , hole enlargement and to
prevent formation damage . hydrated lime
gypsum(calcium sulphate) and calcium chloride are
principle ingredients of calcium system . Gyp systems
(note : Gyp = gypsum) usually have a PH of 9.5 to 10.5
and an excess gyp concentration of 2 to 4 lb/bbl; Lime
systems have an excess lime concentration of 1 to 15
lb/bbl and a PH of 11.5 to 12.0
4-polymer . muds incorporating long-chain, high-
molecular-weight chemicals are effective in
increasing viscosity, flocculating muds , reducing
filtrate loss and stabilizing the formation various
types of polymers are available for this purpose ,
including bentonite extenders . bio polymers are
cross-linked polymers are also used and have good
shear thinning properties at low concentrations
5- low solids . this includes systems in which the
amount and type of solids are controlled total solids
should not range higher than about 6% to 10 % by
volume (and clay < 3% by volume) one primary
advantage of low- soids systems is that they
singnificantly improve the rate of penetration.
6-saturated salt . include several groups : saturated
salt systems have a chloride ion concentration of
198 000 ppm . saltwater systems have chloride
content from 6 000 to 198 000 ppm , and at it's
lower level are usually referred to as brackish or
seawater systems.
7-workover. completion and workover fluids are
specialized systems designed to minimize formation
damage , and be compatible with acidizing and
fracturing operation (acid soluble) and capable of
inhibiting swelling clays that reduce formation
permeability. density is obtained through dissolved
salt to avoid long term settling
8-oil/synthetic oil-based fluid are used for high wells,
deviated holes and wells where pipe sticking and
hole stabilization is a problem . they consist of two
types of systems :
a) invert emulsion muds are water- in -oil fluids and
have water as the dispered phase and oil as
continuous phase . they may contain up to 50 %
water in liquid phase emulsifier(commonly fatty
acids amine derivatives , high-molecular-weight
soaps) and water concentrations are varied to
control rheological and electrical stability ;
b) synthetic fluids are designed to duplicate the
performance of oil based muds , without the
environmental hazards . primary types of synthetic
fluids are esters, poly alpha olefins and food grade
paraffin . they are environmentally friendly , can be
discharged offshore and non-sheening and
biodegradable;
9-air,mist, foam and gas. four basic operations are
included in this specialized category according to the
IADC. these include :
a)dry air drilling , which involves dry air or gas into
the wellbore at rates capable of achieving annular
velocities that will remove cuttings;
b) mist drilling involves injecting a foaming agent
into the air stream which mixes with produced water
and lifts drill cuttings
c)stable foam uses chemical detergents and
polymers and foam generator to carry cutting in fast
- moving air stream;
d)aerated fluids rely on mud with injected air (which
reduces the hydrostatic head ) remove drilled soilds
from the wellbore.

References :

1- 2011 / ‫ المهندس عباس راضي‬/ ‫سوائل الحفر‬

2- Drilling fluid engineering/pal skalle

3- wiki /Drilling fluid :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drilling_fluid