Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

University
ofkitab Petroleum Engineering
Department
Second year

Fundamental Petroleum

Circulation system

Professor: Dr. Namam Muhammad

BY: Dawod sulyman ali

 Circulation
System
The circulation system on the rig is the system that allows for
circulation of the Drilling Fluid or Mud down through the
hollow drill string and up through the annular space between
the drill string and wellbore. It is a continuous system of
pumps, distribution lines, storage tanks, storage pits, and
cleansing units that allows the drilling fluid to fulfill its primary
objectives (these will be discussed later in this lesson). The
mud pumps of the circulation system and the draw works of
the hoisting systems are the two largest draws on the power
from the power system
In the detailed rig schematic, the circulation system is comprised of
 the Swivel
 the Rotary Hose
 the Mud Return Line
 the Shale Shaker
 the Choke Manifold
 the Mud Gas Separator
 the Degasser
 the Reserve Pit
 the Mud Pits
 the Demander
 the Desalter
 the Mud Pumps
 the Mud Discharge Line
 the Bulk Mud Components Storage
 the Mud House
 the Water Tank
Circulating System

Consists of:
 Drilling fluid (drilling mud)
 Mud pits
 Mud pumps
 Flow line (return line)
 Shale shakers
 Other equipment’s

Drilling fluid (drilling mud)

Mud is a mixture of clay, usually bentonite, and water based or oil / diesel oil based, circulated
through the well during rotary drilling.

Drilling mud circulation:

From the mud pits, the mud is pumped by the rig pumps into the hole through: stand pipe -
drilling hose - drill string and the bit. Coming out from the jet nozzles the mud has enough
pressure to remove cuttings from the bottom of the well and bring them to the surface through a
continuous circulation.

Special chemicals are added to the mud to compensate for the varying composition of the water
and the formation being drilled and to increase the weight of the column (BaSO4 Barite).
Drilling mud circulation:

Drilling fluid (drilling mud)

The main functions of the drilling fluids are:
• Bottom hole cleaning
• Cooling and lubricating the bit
• Bringing cuttings to the surface
• Depositing a mud cake on the walls of the hole
to prevent loss of fluids to the formation
• Prevent the collapse of unstable strata into the
hole and the intrusion of water from water-bearing
formations
• Holding back sub-surfaces pressures (to avoid
blow out)
 Mud pits
Usually, large rectangular tanks that contain drilling fluid (mud) on the rig. They are
connected each other and to the mud pumps, making the active mud system. They also
can have cylindrical shape or non-standard shapes.

Depending on their main purpose they can be called:

SUCTION PIT (ACTIVE PIT): pit directly connected to the rig mud pumps
TRIP TANK: small cylindrical tank used during a trip (pulling out of the hole the drill
string)
SETTLING PIT: permits to separate the fine sediments (specially sand) from the mud per
decantation
MIXING PIT: where is possible to prepare the new mud
SLUG PIT: where is stored mud with different characteristics (density)
RESERVE PIT: where the mud is stored to be used in emergency
situations

Agitators

On the pits you can find agitators in order to

keep the mud homogenous.
Mud pumps

Large pumps used to circulate the mud on a drilling rig.

A typical mud pump is a two or three-cylinder piston pump whose replaceable pistons travel
in replaceable liners and are driven by a crankshaft actuated by an engine or a motor.

In base of the diameter of these liners, the volume pumped for each pump stroke CHANGES.

They pick up the mud from the suction pit and force the mud into and down the drill string and
to the bit.

At the bit the mud jets out from the bit nozzles to move cuttings away from the bit and also to
cool the bit.

The mud then moves back up into the annulus to the surface and reaches again the suction pit.

Triplex mud pump

Stand pipe and drilling hose

Stand pipe - a vertical pipe rising along the

side of the derrick or mast, which mud is
pumped going into the hole.

Drilling hose (also called rotary hose or Kelly

hose)- It is installed between the stand pipe and
the swivel or top drive.

Flow line (return line)

At the surface, the mud and cuttings leave the

well through a side outlet with a pipe on it: this
pipe is the FLOW LINE.

At the end of the flow line, mud and cutting

fall onto vibrating screens (or sieves) called the
SHALE SHAKERS.

Open flow line Closed flow line

Shale shakers

Shale shakers are vibrating screens used to

remove cuttings from the circulating fluid
during drilling operations.

Possum belly

Possum belly, on a drilling rig, is a metal

container at the head of the shale shaker that
receives the flow of drilling fluid and is
directly connected to and at the end of the
flow line.

The purpose of the possum belly is to slow

the flow of the drilling fluid.

Other equipment’s:

Hydro cyclone

Hydro cyclones are classified by the size of

the cone:
Demanders (typically 12” in diameter)
Desalters (4 to 6” in diameter).
Demanders and Desalters

Installed after the shale shakers, first the

demander followed by desalter.

The efficiency of hydro cyclones is poor in

viscous weighted mud and many units are
being replaced by more efficient, high-speed
shakers.

Hopper (mixing hopper)

Large funnel or cone-shaped device into which dry components (powdered clay - bentonite or
other chemicals) can be poured to later mix with water or other liquids.

The dry component is educated through a nozzle

at the bottom of the hopper. Installed, usually
before the pre-mixing pit.

Centrifuge Degasser
An item of solids-removal equipment Equipment used to remove unwanted gas from
that removes fine and ultrafine solids. the drilling fluid. Usually, installed
immediately after the shale shakers.
Solids control schematics
 Reverse Circulation drilling
Reverse Circulation drilling, or RC drilling, is a method of drilling which uses
dual wall drill rods that consist of an outer drill rod with an inner tube.
These hollow inner tubes allow the drill cuttings to be transported back to
the surface in a continuous, steady flow.

Unlike diamond drilling, it compiles sample rock cuttings instead of rock core. The
drilling mechanism is most often a pneumatic reciprocating piston called a hammer,
which in turn is driving a tungsten-steel drill bit, specifically made to be able to crush
hard rock.
The hammer is used to remove rock samples which are pushed through the machine
with compressed air. When air is blown down the annulus (ring-shaped structure) of
the rod, the pressure shift creates a reverse circulation, bringing the cuttings up the
inner tube. When the cuttings reach a deflector box at the top of the rig, the matter is
moved through a hose attached to the top of the cyclone.
The drill cuttings will travel around the cyclone until they fall through the bottom
opening into a sample bag. These bags are marked with the location and depth of the
place where the sample was collected and can be transported directly to the assay lab
for analysis.