Drilling Fluids Dailling sud is one of the most important elements of any drilling operation. The mud has a number of functions which must all be optimised to ensure safety and minimum hole problems. Suchas: The bit penetrating the rock - The cleaning the bit face and transport of the cuttings to surface - The support of the borehole . Functions of Mud 1- Cuttings transport ° Clean under the bit ° Transport the cuttings up the borehole ° Release the cuttings at the surface without losing other beneficial materials & ° Hold cuttings and weighting materials when circulation is interrupted + 2- Physicochemical functions + Cooling and lubricating the rotating bit and drill string 3- Fluid-loss control ° Wall the newly drilled wellbore with an impermeable cake for borehole support ° Reduce advetse and damaging effects on the formation around the wellbore4- Control subsurface pressure 5- Support part of the drill string and casing weight 6- Ensure maximum logging information 7- Transmit hydraulic horsepower to the rotating bit 1- Cutting Transport The drilling fluid should be able to remove rock fragments or cuttings from beneath the drilling bit. The circulating rates, density and viscosity of the drilling fluid are the properties that control the process of lifting particles that fall down through the flowing fluid by the effect of gravity. The fluid must also have the ability to form a gel-like structure to hold cuttings and weighting materials when circulation is interrupted. Transporting of Cuttings to Surface Holding Cuttings in Suspension Vane’ Mud Velocity in Annulus depends on: “Pumprate fig: Yield Strength of Mud depends on: *Rheological Behaviour {Maa Cutting Setting Vetoiy | .Gel Strength, Thixotropy fepends on: “ud Parameters ~ Rheology (Viscosity) Tout = Density {fa Normal Stress due to Cutting Weight depends on: Cutting Diameter (d,) -Cutting Density (p,) ; Vann?>V sett2- Physicochemical Functions The drilling- -fluid system should remain stable when 05 to and hostile downhole conditions. Among the common natural contaminants are reactive drill solids, che corrosive acid gases (e.g., H2S), saltwater flows, and evaporites (e.g., gypsum). 3- Cooling and Lubricating the Rotating Bit and Drillstring The drilling mud cools and lubricates when the rotating bit drills into the bottom of the hole and when the drill string rotates against the wellbore walls. The fluid should have the ability to absorb the heat generated by the friction between metallic surfaces and formation. 4 Fluid-Loss Control. The bit removes (at&ial support of the drilled wellbore and is immediately replaced by the drilling fluid until the casing is set with cement. The stability of uncased sections of the borehole is achieved by a thin, low-permeability filter cake formed by the mud on the walls of the hole. Also, the cake seals pores and other openings in formations caused by the bit, minimizing liquid loss into permeable formations. Riterca He a thiny lou - Reroemei lager Co Tod yg nuk oy alls 2 f£ Well boVe5- Control Subsurface Pressure A column of drilling fluid exerts a hydrostatic pressure that equal to P=0.052xpx TVD where P - hydrostatic pressure of fluid column in wellbore, psi; p - mud weight in pounds per gallon (ppg) TVD - True Vertical Depth, (ft ) . The drilling fluid balances or overcomes formation pressures in the wellbore. An overbalanced condition occurs when the drilling fluid exerts a higher pressure than the formation pressure. An underbalanced condition occurs when the drilling fluid exerts a lower pressure than the formation pressure. A balanced condition exists if the mud pressure exerted in the wellbore is equal to the formation pressure. pvr yaélénces 2 youlle Cloik RES Ue 2 Lovers bion fressuleE unjer ba lances: mod PesUreC Sovmabirn Presr ove \pal4ncel nuk Plessuves Cscmahion PE sp ueMud circulation system ‘A major function of fluid-circulating system is to remove the rock cuttings from the hole as the drilling progresses. The drilling mud travels (1) from the steel tanks to the mud pump, (2) from the pump to the high-pressure surface connections to the drilistring, (3)through the drilistring to the bit, (4) through the nozzles of the bit and up the annular space between the drillstring and hole to the surface (5) through the contaminant-removal equipment back to the suction tank Protection against Kelly — Corrosion eo Charging Pumps Table Transport of Cuttings to Surface ~~ Support of Borehole Wall Transmission of Data/Hydraulic Power Reducing Friction Cooling Bit ig Torque/Drag The principal components of the rig circulating system include: 1- mud pumps 2 mud pits. 3- contaminat-removal equipment.1- Mud pumps Huge pumps pull mud from mud tanks and pump it into the tower to rotate the drilling mud during the drilling process. 2- Mud pits a Mud pits are required for holding an volume of drilling mud at the surface. This surface, volume allows time for settling of tefighrock cuttings and for release of Qa gas bubbles not mechanically separated. 3-Contaminat-removal equipment This equipment includes mechanical devices for removing solids and gases from mud. Cuttings are removed by the shale shakers, Header Tank Feed Chute ee Drive Head Assembly Sealping Deck ‘Pneumoseal’ _—— Primary Deck ‘clamping SystemDrilling-Fluid Types Adrilling fluid can be classified according to their continuous phase into : 1- Water —based mud 2- Oil —based mud 3- Pneuftiatic (gas) - based mud Water-Based Fluids. Water-based drilling muds are the most commonly used fluids. In water-based fluids, the solid particles are suspended in water o1 Divided into : ye BTR ne Inhibitive fluids fetand aYSWelling (retard ability ofthe formation to absorb water). Inhibitive drilling fluids are designed to reduce chemical reactions between the drilling fluid and the formation.ad The inhibitive fluids contain specific ions (sodium, calcium, and potassium) minimize shale and swelling. The term noninhibitive refers to the lack or absence of those specific ions, allow toabsorb water phase by the formation. - Polymer lymers are used to provide viscosity, fluid-loss control, shale inhibition, and prevention of clay dispersion in freshwater- or saltwater-based drilling fluids. Polymers function in several ways. Some polymers hydrate and swell in much the same manner as conventional clay materials. By doing this, they thicken the water phase, making the escape of water into the formation more difficult, thereby preventing swelling