Mud Systems

WIRELINE - MUD SYSTEMS

Documentation
 OH_WI-14

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Objectives
 At the end of this training you will be able to:
– Identify the zones of the borehole environment
– List the functions of the drilling mud
– Explain the mud properties used wireline logging
– List the different mud types
– Advantages
– Disadvantages

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What is Drilling Fluid or Mud?
 Drilling Mixture
 Consists on dissolved and un-dissolved solids:
– Clay
– Silt
– Additives
 Resistivity of the Mud is denominated Rm

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What is Mud Filtrate?
 Liquid portion of the mud
 Invades the formation displacing virgin fluids
 Resistivity of the mud filtrate is denominated Rmf
 Quick check to determine if Rmf is representative of
the sample

Rmf = 0.75Rm
 DOES NOT replace using the mud meter to obtain an
actual reading of Rmf

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What is Mud Cake?
 Solids in the Mud
– Deposited on the wall of the hole to seal it off
– Restricts the entry of the mud into the formation
 Resistivity of the mud cake is denominated Rmc
Rmc = 1.5Rm

What is a good indication of mud cake?

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Estimation of Rmf and Rmc

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Rm, Rmf & Rmc

Rm 1.6 @ 18 °C
Rmf 1.5 @ 18 °C
Rmc 1.8 @ 18 °C
Rm @ BHT 1.4 @ 25 °C
Max Rec. Temp 25 °C

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Drilling Fluid Functions
1. Remove cuttings from the well
2. Suspend cuttings
3. Control formation pressures
4. Seal permeable formations

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Drilling Fluid Functions
5. Cool, lubricate, and support
the bit and drilling assembly
6. Transmit hydraulic energy to
the drilling tools and bit
7. Control corrosion

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Drilling Fluid Functions
 Underbalanced Pressure

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Underbalance Situation
Fracture

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Drilling Fluid Functions
 Overbalanced Pressure

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Overbalance and Invasion
 During drilling mud is
forced into porous
and permeable beds
 Formation water is
pushed out by mud
filtrate
 A mud cake forms on
the borehole wall

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Open hole – Invasion Profile

Uninvaded Zone
Flushed Zone

Transition Zone

Borehole Mudcake

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Drilling Hazards
 Salt section
 Shale problems
 Lost circulation
 Blowouts

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WIRELINE - MUD SYSTEMS © 2016 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Drilling Fluids
 Wide range of chemical
and physical properties
 Depending on:
– Drilling conditions
– Geological conditions

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Oil-Based Mud Report

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Drilling Fluid Properties

Hole Fluid Type GEL

Density / Viscosity 1020.0 kg/M3 20.00 sec/L
PH / Fluid Loss 8.20 7200 ml/30 Min
Sample Source FLOWLINE
Rm @ Measured Temp 4.11 @ 25.0 ohm-m
Rmf @ Measured Temp 3.64 @ 25.0 ohm-m
Rmc @ Measured Temp 4.54 @ 25.0 ohm-m
Source Rmf / Rmc Press Filter
Rm @ BHT 3.98@ 26.0 ohm-m
Time Since Circulation 4 Hours
Max Recorded Temp 26.00 deg C

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What is Mud Density?
 A measurement of mass / unit volume of drilling muds
 Common units are kg/m3 or lbs/gallon
 Measured by a device known as a ‘mud balance’

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Mud Density
 Affects the magnitude of the pressure differential
between the formation and the drilling mud
 Barite is typically added to drilling mud to increase
density

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What is Marsh Funnel Viscosity?
 Measures the time it takes one
quart (or liter) of mud to flow
through a Marsh funnel
– H2O ~ 26 seconds/quart @ 70°F
– H2O ~ 28 seconds/liter @ 70°F
 Not a true viscosity
measurement
– Serves as a qualitative comparison
of mud thickness
 This is usually what is reported
on log headers
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Viscosity
 Typically controlled by the
amount of bentonite in the
drilling mud
 Bentonite swells when exposed
to water
– Therefore making it ideal for
protecting formations from invasion
of drilling fluids

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Fluid Loss
 Property of the mud to separate
the liquid and solid components
under pressure passing through
a filter paper
– Specified API conditions are the
milliliters of fluid that pass through
the filter in 30 minutes at 100psi at
surface temperature
 Filtrate and solids recovered
from the press are typically used
to measure Rmf and Rmc

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What is pH?
 “Hydrogen Ion Concentration”
 Measures how acidic or alkaline
liquid is
– pH > 7 is basic or Alkaline
– pH < 7 is acidic
 pH levels determine:
– Clay interactions
– Solubility and effectiveness of mud
additives
– Control of acidic and sulfide corrosion
processes
 Measurement typically done with
test strips

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 Drilling Fluid Types

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Drilling Fluid Types
 Water Based Mud
– Fresh Water
– Salt Water
 Oil Based Mud
 Air and Foam fluids

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Fresh Water Mud - Fresh Water Plus Clays
 Advantages:
– Cheap
– Minimal pollution
 Disadvantages:
– Slower drilling
– Formation damage and well problems
 Log Tool Affected:
– Resistivity Tools

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Salt Water Mud - Salt Saturated Water
Plus Clays
 Advantages:
– Cheap
– Drilling through salt rock
 Disadvantages:
– Slower drilling
– Some pollution
 Logging Tools Affected:
– Array Induction
– Neutron

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Oil Based Mud - Oil Plus Water Plus
Chemicals
 Advantages:
– Very fast drilling
– Minimal formation damage
 Disadvantages:
– Expensive
– Pollution
 Logging Tools Affected:
– Resistivity Tools
– SP

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Air Drilling - Compressed Air/Nitrogen

 Advantages:
– Much faster drilling than other
techniques
– No lost circulation
– Continually test the formation as
it is being drilled
 Disadvantages:
– Poor hole stability
– Dusty operations
– Air compressors expensive to
maintain and operate
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Foam Drilling - Air Plus Water Plus
Surfactant
 Advantages:
– Minimize fluid loss
– Fast drilling
– Minimal reservoir damage
 Disadvantages:
– Poor hole stability
– Messy operations
– Disposal/storage

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Drilling Fluid Additives
 Weighting materials
 Corrosion inhibitors
 Dispersants
 Flocculants
 Surfactants
 Biocides
 Fluid loss reducers

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Weighting Material - Barite
 Mineral consisting in Barium Sulfate (BaSO4)
 Important for logging
– Its excess can require a correction factor in some
measurements

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Treating and Monitoring Equipment
 Mud Pits
 Mud Pumps
 Mud Shakers
 Desanders
 Desilters
 Degasser
 Mixers

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 Questions?

WIRELINE - MUD SYSTEMS © 2016 Weatherford. All rights reserved.