DRILLING ENGINEERING

Lesson 1-3
Mud Systems

Dr.Ir. Sudjati Rachmat, DEA

Lesson 3

Mud Systems
 Mud systems
• Diagnostic tests
• Water based muds
• Oil based muds
• Additives
• Mud handling system
 Diagnostic tests
• API recommended mud tests were
devised to help the mud engineer
determine whether the drilling fluid is
performing its functions properly.
 Diagnostic tests
• Mud Balance --- Density of mud

• Marsh Funnel --- Consistency of mud

 Diagnostic tests

• Rotational Viscometer
– Measures Rheological properties of mud
– Rheology is the study of the flow
characteristics of a drilling fluid and how
these characteristics affect movement of the
fluids
– From this info the circulating system can be
designed or evaluated regarding how it will
accomplish certain desired objectives.
 Rotational Viscometer
• Dimensions of bob and rotor are chosen
so that the dial reading at 300 rpm is
equal to the apparent Newtonian viscosity
in cp.
 Rotational Viscometer
• Bingham plastic fluids
– PV, cp - measure of internal resistance to
fluid flow resulting from the interactions of
solids in the drilling fluid
– YP, lbf/100 sq. ft. - measure of the internal
resistance of a fluid to initial flow.
– Gel, lbf/100 sq. ft. - measure of electrical
attractive forces within the drilling fluid under
static conditions
 Rotational Viscometer
• Power law
– K is a measure of the thickness of the fluid
– n is a measure of the deviation from
Newtonian fluid behavior.
 Diagnostic tests
• pH Determination
Diagnostic tests
• API Filter press -
measure filtration
rate and filter cake
thickness
Diagnostic tests

• HTHP filter press -

measure filtration
rate and filter cake
thickness at higher
differential
pressures and
temperatures
 Diagnostic tests
• Chemical Analysis - Test for:
– OH-, Cl-, Ca++

• Alkalinity - Pf, Pm, Mm, Mf

– Designed to establish the concentration of
hydroxyl, bicarbonate, and carbonate ions in
the aqueous phase of the mud.
 Diagnostic tests
• Chloride Concentration - is salt present
• Water Hardness
• Sand Content - Effectiveness of solids
control equipment
 Diagnostic tests
• Mud Retort - volume fraction of oil, water,
and solids in mud
• Cation Exchange Capacity of Clays -
volume fraction of low gravity solids
 Pilot Tests
• Use samples of 350 ml of mud.
• 350 ml is called “one barrel equivalent”

1.0 lbm 454 g 1bbl 1gal 1g

× × × =
1bbl lbm 42 gal 3785 mL 350 mL
 Pilot Tests
• V t = V1 + V2 + … + Vn
• Vi = mi/ ρi
ρ = (m1 + m2 + … + mn)
• (V1 + V2 + … + Vn)
 Water based muds
• Water is the basic component
• Clays are added for viscosity
– Yield of clay is defined as the number of bbls
of mud that can be produced using 1 ton of
clay if the mud has an apparent viscosity of
15 cp at 600 rpm.
 Water based muds
• Wyoming bentonite
is the most common
used in fresh water
muds and is
considered high yield
clay - mostly sodium
montmorilloonite.
 Water based muds
• Attapulgite is used as
salt water gel
 Water based muds
• Barium sulfate - barite is most common
solid added to muds to increase density.
• Hematite (iron ore) is sometimes used
also
 Inhibitive water based muds
• A mud in which the ability of active clays
to hydrate has been reduced greatly.
• Used to prevent drilled clays from
disintegrating into very small particle and
entering the mud.
• Used to stabilize high clay content
formations
 Inhibitive water based muds
• Calcium treated muds
• Lignosulfonate treated muds
• High salinity muds
 Oil based muds
• Continuous phase is composed No. 2
diesel.
• Emulsifiers are added to prevent water
droplets to coalesce and settling out of
the mud
• Water droplets are used to build viscosity
and for filtrate control, as is asphalt,
polymers, etc
Mud Selection Criteria
Additives
Mud handling system