PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT

PGE406

Summary of

The Top 10 Mud-Related Concerns

in Deep water Drilling Operations

SUBMITTED BY: Group No-11

Name-1 HUSSAM SHAH

20135188

SUBMITTED FOR: Assist. Prof. Dr. Serhat Canbolat

SUBMISSION DATE: Friday, 11/ 11/ 2016

Abstract
The deep water environment can place serious demands and
Constraints on the drilling fluid during well construction.
Failure to adequately address these concerns can lead to
excessive well costs, unscheduled trouble time, unnecessary
high-risk activities, and poor performance. In this paper, we
identify and succinctly discuss the top 10 mud-related concerns
based on field experience in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore
West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. Mud-related concerns
selected for this top-10 list are (1) lost circulation, (2) mud
properties, (3) solids transport, (4) stuck pipe, (5) wellbore
stability, (6) shallow hazards, (7) gas hydrates, (8) reservoir
productivity, (9) environmental issues, and (10) fluid-related
logistics.

Introduction

Undeniably, the drilling fluid plays a key role in all deepwater

drilling operations. Too often, failure to adequately address
mud-related concerns can lead to excessive well costs,
unscheduled trouble time, unnecessary high-risk activities, and
poor performance. In some cases, the challenging deepwater
environment is the primary cause of mud-related problems. In
others, the mud is the problem source in the sensitive and often
unforgiving setting. Regardless, the concerns are real and
potentially serious. The promise of extraordinary financial
rewards in deepwater
drilling projects is counter-balanced by great capital
investment, safety and economic risks, and short- and longterm
liabilities. High contract rates for deepwater rigs dominate
the economic factors, while unscheduled trouble time
affects safety and economic risks. Environmental liabilities,
for the most part, focus on drilling fluid toxicity and local
regulations.

1. Lost Circulation
Lost-circulation problems in deepwater are exacerbated by low
fracture gradients, tight casing/hole clearances, and muds made
denser and more viscous by low fluid temperatures. Lost

circulation while running casing in high-unit-cost syntheticbased muds (SBMs) and oil-based muds (OBMs) is arguably the most
challenging mud-related problem in deep-water drilling. Deeper
water systematically lowers fracture gradients at shallow to
moderate depths because of the substantial reduction in
overburden gradient. Fortunately, true real-time calculations are
proving effective for monitoring and helping control excessive
surge pressures. Pore-pressure prediction is another emerging
real-time technique that is improving management of narrow
operating windows. Every deep-water operation requires accurate
prediction of fracture gradients for well planning and for
continual updates to ensure safe and efficient operations.

2. Mud Properties (Density and Rheology)

Low mud temperatures experienced in deep water drilling can
radically increase down hole mud density, viscosity, and gel
strengths, especially for SBMs and OBMs. Down hole density is so
critical that a distinction must be made between the mud weight
that is measured at the surface and the equivalent static density
(ESD) that determines the true down hole hydrostatic pressure.
These ill effects must be carefully monitored and offset to
minimize excessive pressures while drilling, tripping, and
running casing. Perhaps the most important period occurs after
the mud has been static for some time. The impact of cold
temperatures on mud thixotrophy is particularly significant. The
dilemma of using measurements collected from different
instruments is solved by incorporating all available rheological
data into a single data cube based on temperature, pressure and
shear rate.7 This technique encourages wellsite Fann 35A
measurements at several temperatures. The dramatic impact of low
temperatures on rheology is
illustrated in Table 3. The data were taken at 120oF and 34oF
on a 13.8-lb/gal SBM using a modified Fann 70 viscometer.
The relatively flat gels are as noteworthy as the striking
increases in Fann R600 and R300 values. While kinematic viscosity
characteristics of the base fluid clearly are important, these
data suggest that the contribution of the emulsifier package is
equally critical when formulating SBMs for deepwater
applications. Table 3 also reinforces the significance of
measuring rheology at cold temperatures for deepwater
applications. Rheological properties measured on the mud in use
are always better than those obtained from general models and

trends. The dilemma of using measurements collected from

different instruments is solved by incorporating all available
rheological data into a single data cube based on temperature,
pressure and shear rate.7 This technique encourages wellsite Fann
35Ameasurements at several temperatures. Low-temperature
measurements can be taken by using a cooling bath, dry ice, or a
small refrigerator. If general modeling is desired or necessary,
Davison, et al.8 provide an excellent source for rheological
analyses under deepwater drilling conditions.

3. Solids Transport (Hole Cleaning and Barite

Sag)
Hole cleaning and barite sag are related in concept and often
discussed together, as they are here. More often than not,
actions taken to enhance one are concurrently beneficial to the
other, even though the actions may be at odds with other
concerns. For example,
Flow rates and rheological properties required to minimize
hole-cleaning and barite-sag problems can cause excessive
pressures while drilling, tripping, and running casing.
Efforts to offset low-temperature effects on rheology can
exacerbate barite sag
Hole-cleaning concerns are likely in all deepwater wells,
while barite-sag problems require weighted muds and directional
well paths. Annular velocity generally is still considered
the key physical parameter, but pipe rotation, especially with
eccentricity, can be equally important. The use of riser-booster
pumps has greatly improved hole cleaning in larger diameter
risers.

4. Stuck Pipe
Stuck pipe, a persistent and expensive problem in all types of
drilling environments, is particularly decisive in deepwater
because of high rig costs and the potential loss of expensive
downhole tools. Despite strong connection to other issues,
stuck pipe remains a serious mud concern. A particularly key
issue involves running casing. Slow running speeds reduce the
possibility of lost circulation, but can increase chances for
getting stuck. The many excellent guides available for dealing
with the problem carefully stress the importance of time. The
longer the pipe remains stuck, the less likely it can be
eventually freed. Stuck pipe can be caused by differential
sticking, hole pack off/ bridging (wellbore instability), or well

geometry (key seats, doglegs, etc.). Some of these conditions can

be minimized or prevented by mud type and mud properties.
Differential sticking, for example, is less likely in (1) SBMs
and OBMs, (2) WBMs with carefully controlled fluid-loss
characteristics, and (3) minimum-overbalance situations.

5. Wellbore Stability (Shale Problems and

Wellbore Stresses)
Exceptionally responsive shale arrangements natural for deepwater penetrating require both mechanical and compound intends to
forestall wellbore unsteadiness. The effect of these shales on
penetrating proficiency what's more, financial aspects are
unmistakably outlined in the deep-water GOM, where mud rich shale
developments have made a large number of issues, including bit
and BHA balling, stuck pipe, failure to bore and ream at the same
time, and out-of-gage wellbores, among others. WBMs utilized for
deep-water penetrating normally contain high groupings of sodium
chloride, fundamentally to repress gas hydrate arrangement. Be
that as it may, the high salt fixation moreover gives some level
of shale restraint, particularly in mix with polyglycol,
polyglycerol, or silicate additives. SBMs are more inhibitive to
shale than WBMs and are regularly decided for deep-water
penetrating due to their capacity to balance out shale. SBMs give
an exceptionally inhibitive environment to shale boring, however
lost flow can add to well costs. In the shale-rich upper and
middle of the road areas of deep-water GOM wells, calcium
chloride/polymer-based liquid frameworks are successful, lesscostly option. The CaCl2 framework has demonstrated successful at
restraining troublesome shales in a number of profound and ultradeep-water wells. In profound augmented achieve well directions
in the Campos Basin, counterbalancing the wellbore stresses that
cause insecurity what's more, balancing out shale arrangements
require mud densities higher than those expected to control
arrangement liquid weights. Mechanical adjustment of shale can
include selecting the right mud thickness window to counteract
breaking or crumple of the wellbore.