Rheology

&
Hydraulics
 Overview
Fluid Rheology and Hydraulics are engineering terms
that describe the behavior of fluids in motion.

•Rheological monitoring and control is critical

– Extended reach, high angle
– Slim hole
– HPHT
•Accurate rheological/ hydraulic modeling is essential
– Pre-well planning
– During drilling - verify with PWD
– Post-well analysis
 Rheological Terms (1/3)
Shear Rate:
Fluid velocity /Distance through which the fluid is moving in
laminar flow.

Shear Stress:
Force to move a fluid at a given shear rate.

Shear speed-rpm:
The rotational speed on a standard oil field
viscometer on which the shear stress is measured.
 Rheological Terms (2/3)
Viscosity:
The resistance of fluid to flow= shear stress/ shear rate.

Yield point:
The force required to initiate flow.
“YP is a time-independent measurement”

Gel Strength (thixotropy):

Time-dependent measurements of a fluid's shear
stress under static conditions.
 Rheological Terms (3/3)
Flow index (n):
The numerical relation between a fluid's shear stress and
shear rate on a log/log plot.
This value describes a fluid's degree of shear-thinning
behavior (Non-Newtonian Degree).
“As the fluid becomes more shear thinning, n Decreases”

Consistency Coefficient (K):

Indicative of the pump ability of the fluid
Affected by both PV and Yp.
“As the fluid becomes more viscous, K increases”
 Flow Regimes
Laminar
Occurs at low-to-moderate shear rates.
Friction between the fluid and the channel walls is low.
Turbulent
Occurs at high shear rates where the fluid moves in a chaotic
fashion.
Particles in turbulent flow are carried by random loops.
Friction between the fluid and the channel walls is high.
Transitional
occurs when the flow shifts from laminar flow to
turbulent flow or vice versa.
 Fluids Types
Newtonian fluids
e.g. water, brines, glycol
– Shear stress is directly proportional to shear rate
– Viscosity is a constant

Non-Newtonian fluids
e.g. Mud, Cement (addition of solids)
– Shear stress is a non-linear function of shear rate
– Viscosity is a function of shear rate
Rheological Models
“Predict fluid behavior across
a wide range of shear rates”

1. Bingham model
2. Power law model
3. Herschel-Bulkley model
Bingham Model

Shear
Stress,  Viscosity, 

Yield   y   
Stress, 0

Shear Rate, 
 Power Low Model

Flow Index, n
Shear
Consistency Index, K
Stress, 

n
  K

Shear Rate, 
 Herschel-Bulkley Model

Shear
Stress,  Flow Index, n
Consistency Index, K

n
Yield   0  K 
Stress, 0

Shear Rate, 
 Optimized H-B Model Parameters

• n, K and t0 are all inter-related

• Difficult to change any one parameter without
affecting the others
• Typically;
  K   n,  t0
  t0   n,  K etc.
• The degree of shear thinning, n, is largely set
by the properties of the base fluid
Optimum Shear Thinning, n

High ‘n’ (OBM) Low ‘n’ (WBM)

 Rheology - Summary

• Accurate rheological characterization is

essential for advanced drilling operations
• The Herschel-Bulkley model best describes
most drilling fluids.
• Rheology is critical in hydraulics and cuttings
transport calculations
• Model is verified by PWD™, DFG DrillAhead™
and other field data.
 Fluid Hydraulics
Calculation Terms (1/3)
Reynolds number (N ) Re
A dimensionless, numerical term governs whether a
flowing fluid will be in laminar or turbulent flow. Often,
a Reynolds number greater than 2,100 will mark the
onset of turbulent flow, but this is not always so.

Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD)

Total pressure exerted by the drilling fluid below the bit when
circulating, expressed as an equivalent mud weight
 Fluid Hydraulics
Calculation Terms (2/3)
Pressure Drop

 Frictional forces develop when fluids flow through

a pipe or an annulus, as a result, fluid energy dissipates.
 Factors that can affect the magnitude of pressure drop
include: Length, Flow rate (flow regime type laminar or
turbulent), Fluid rheological properties, Pipe eccentricity,
Pipe/annulus geometry
Fluid Hydraulics
Calculation Terms (3/3)
Eccentricity
It refers to the position of the DP in an annulus.