Retort Analysis For Drilling Fluid Equipment

Complete retort kit

JP volumetric receiver

Fine steel wool

High temperature lubricant

Pipe cleaners

Putty knife or spatula with blade

Procedures For Drilling Mud Retort Testing

Collect a fluid sample and cool it to approximately 80°F (27°C).

Pack the upper retort chamber with very fine steel wool.

Lubricate the threads on the sample cup and condenser with a light coating of lubricating/antiseizing
compound.

Note: This will prevent vapor loss through the threads and also facilitate disassembly of the equipment
and cleanup at the end of the test.

Fill the retort sample cup with gas-free mud.

Note: Any trapped air will cause false readings.

Place the lid on the retort cup; rotate the lid slowly.

Note: Make sure some of the test sample is expelled through the vent hole on the lid.

Wipe off any excess mud and screw the retort sample cup into the upper retort chamber.

Place the retort in the insulator block and put the insulator cover in place.

Place the volumetric receiver under the drain of the condenser.

Heat the sample until the liquid stops coming out through the condenser drain tube, or until the pilot
light goes out on the thermostatically controlled units.

Note: This usually takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Remove the volumetric receiver and examine the liquid recovered.

If Solids are in the liquid, Then whole mud has boiled over from the sample cup and the test must be
repeated.

If An emulsion band exists, Then warm the volumetric receiver slowly to 120°F (49°C).

Allow the volumetric receiver to cool to approximately 80°F (27°C).

Read and record the volumes of oil, or synthetic and water in the volumetric receiver.
Calculate % by volume of the liquid and solid components of the fluid.

a. % by volume water = mL water × 10

b. % by volume oil/synthetic = mL oil/synthetic × 10

c. % by volume total solids = 100 – % by volume water – % by volume oil/synthetic

Calculate the oil:water (OWR) ratio or synthetic:water (SWR) ratio if the fluid is an oilbased or synthetic
mud.

Oil fraction = (% by vol oil/synthetic) / (% by vol oil/synthetic + % by vol water)

Water fraction = 100 – oil/synthetic fraction

OWR = oil fraction:water fraction

SWR =synthetic fraction:water fraction

Calculate % by volume undissolved solids.

% by vol undissolved solids = % by vol total solids – % by vol dissolved solids

Calculate % by vol brine.

% by vol brine = % by volume water + % by volume dissolved solids

Calculate average specific gravity of solids (ASG).

ASG = {(mud density ,lb/gal)(11.98) – (%by vol oil) (sg oil) – (% by volume brine) (sg brine)} / {%by
volume undissolved solids}

Calculate % by volume low-gravity solids (LGS).

%LGS = (sg wt mtl – ASG) / (sg wt mtl – sg of the LGS) x 100

Calculate lb/bbl of LGS.

lb/bbl LGS = % LGS × sg of the LGS × 3.505

Calculate % by volume high gravity solids (weight material).

% by vol weight material = % by vol undissolved solids – % by vol LGS

Calculate lb/bbl weight material.

lb/bbl high gravity solids (weight material) = % weight material × sg of the weight material × 3.505