Drilling Fluid Technology

Lesson I Lesson II
• Introduction and Objectives
– Technical/Scientific Aspects
• Solids Control
• Function and Properties – Unweighted/Weighted Muds
– Wellbore Hydraulics, Cuttings
Transport • Types of Drilling Fluid
– Fundamentals of Rheology Systems
– Drilling Fluids and Borehole – Waterbased Mud
Stability – Oilbase Mud/Emulsion Systems
– Filtration Properties • KTB-Experiences
– Balancing Formation Pressure – Strategy
– Lost Circulation Problems – Pilot Hole
– Lubrication/Friction Reducing – Ultradeep Hole
– Corrosion Prevention
• Conclusions
• Testing Methods/Equipment
• Mud Additives Controlling
Properties
 Drilling Mud – Why do we deal with?
Engineers Scientists
Drilling Tasks Mud Information Carrier
!Bottomhole Cleaning Mud/Fluids

Aiding Scientific Evaluation

!Cuttings Transport Borehole Gas
Logging
!Borehole Wall Support Tracers

!Balancing Formation Pressure Cuttings

!Cooling the Bit Mud

!Hydraulic Power Transmission Gas

!Data Transmission (MWD) Fluids

!Reducing Friction Cuttings

!Corrosion Protection Cores

 Technical Key Functions of Drilling Fluids
Rotary Hose

Mud CirculationSystem Hydraulic Optimization

Pump Pressure=f(Pumprate,MudViscosity)
Swivel
Standpipe

Protection against
Mud Pumps
Kelly Corrosion
Charging Pumps
Rotary
Table
Transport of Cuttings Shale
to Surface Aiding Solids Removal
Shaker
Mud Pits
Annulus
Casing
Drillstring
Support of
Borehole Wall
Transmission of
Data/Hydraulic Power Reducing Friction
Cooling Bit Torque/Drag
Balancing Formation
Pressure Cleaning the Bottom of the Hole
Mud Properties Controlling Technical Key Functions
Complex Interaction
Functions Properties
!Cleaning the Bottom of the Hole
Rheological Parameters
!Transport of Cuttings to Surface 1 •Viscosity
!Hydraulic Power
•Thixotropy
!Data Transmission
!Cooling the Bit
Density
!Borehole Wall Support/Stabilization Filtration Parameters
2
!Balancing Formation Pressure Free Water Capacity

!Reducing Friction/Torque and Drag 3 Lubricity Coefficient

Chemical Composition
!Protection against Corrosion 4 pH
physico-chemical Parameters

!Aiding Cuttings Removal and 5 Solids Content

Solids Control weighted/unweighted
1 Fundamentals of Cutting Transport
Drilling/Mud Circulation Roundtrip/Circulation Break

Transporting of Cuttings to Surface

Vann: Mud Velocity in Annulus

Drill Pipe
depends on:
•Pumprate,
•Annular Geometry
Vsett: Cutting Settling Velocity
depends on:
•Mud Parameters

Annulus
- Rheology (Viscosity)
- Density
•Cutting Parameters
-Density
-Diameter
-Shape Drill
Collar
Vann>>Vsett BHA

Basic Law of Cuttings Transport Drill Bit

(Vann-Vsett)/Vann > 50%
1
Fundamentals of Cutting Transport
Drilling/Mud Circulation Roundtrip/Circulation Break

Holding Cuttings in Suspension

τ0: Yield Strength of Mud

Drill Pipe
depends on:
•Rheological Behaviour
•Gel Strength, Thixotropy

τcutt: Tangential/Normal Stress

due to Cutting Weight
depends on:

Annulus
-Cutting Diameter (dc)
-Cutting Density (ρc)
-Cutting Shape
-Mud Density (ρm)
Drill
τcutt=(dc*g(ρc-ρm))/6
Collar
BHA

Drill Bit τcutt<τ0

1 Cuttings Transport – The Role of Drilling Fluid Rheology
Circulation/Drilling Circulation Break/Roundtrip
Dynamic Carrying Capacity Static Carrying Capacity

Rheological Behaviour while Flowing Rheological Behaviour while Stationary

Viscosity dependent on Shear Rate Thixotropy: Fluid Gel reversible
1 Theory of Fluid Rheology
Shear Stress - Shear Rate Diagram

τ Slope = Viscosity Typical Drilling Muds are

Shear Thinning

sity
Viscosity decreases with
increasing Shear Rate

co
ud) e

Vis
γ M
i lling r Rat

ian
r
(D Shea

Shear Stress τ
i d
Flu t on

ton
t i c
Viscosity las enden

ew
p
do dep
s e u s ity

hN
P sit y sco
c o V i
Vis ity ia n

Hig
o s on
i sc
e wt ∆γ
t V N Slope = µ
e n L o w
ar
Ap
p ∆τ

Shear Rate γ
Newtonian Fluid (Water, Mineral Oil):
Straight Line with Constant Slope
1 Drilling Mud Viscosity – Measuring Equipment

Rotational Viscosimeter Marsh Funnel

946 cm3

Determination of Shear Dependent

Measuring Outflow time (s)
Viscosity by Measuring Flow Curve at
Water: 26 s
different Rotational Speeds
1 Measuring Rheological Behaviour of Drilling Fluids
Rotational Viscosimeter
Determination of Flow Model

Measuring Points
Flow Curve
RPM Reading
600 xx
300 xx Reading
200 xx
100 xx
6 xx
3 xx

Measuring Points
Gel Strength
RPM Reading Rotational
3 after 10 s xx Speed (RPM)
3 after 10 min xx
1 Flow Models Describing Pseudoplastic Drilling Fluid Rheology
120 Shear Stress – Shear Rate Diagram

True Viscosimeter Readings

R@600 RPM
Shear Stress τ (Viscosimeter Reading)
100 Bingham Fluid
YP: Yield Point= 2*R300-R600

80
PV: Plastic Viscosity=R600-R300
Slope = PV
τ=YP+PV*γ
ine
60 tL
ai gh
r
St R@300 RPM
h am
40 in g
B Power Law Fluid
YP
K: Konsistency Index=R300/511n
20 n: Power Law Coefficient=log(R600/R300)/0.301)

τ=K*γn
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Shear Rate γ (Viscosimeter RPM)

1 Shear Thinning of Drilling Fluids –Impacts on Drilling Process

Low Shear-Range High Shear-Range µapp= τ/γ

High Viscosity Low Viscosity
Newtonian Fluid
Apparent Viscosity µapp (mPas)

Bingham Fluid
Power Law Fluid

Bingham Asymptotic Line

Annulus -> Cuttings for high Shear Rates µapp-> PV
Transport
Drillpipe -> Pressure Loss
Bit Nozzles -> Hydraulic Power at Bit
Solids Control -> Cutting Removal

µapp= µ = const

Shear Rate γ
1 Influence of Yield Point on Cuttings Transport Efficiency
Annular Geometry: 5“ Drillpipe/12 ¼“ Hole
Transport Ratio (%)

Yield Point YP (lbs/100sqft)

1 Impact of Mud Rheology on Cutting Lag Depth Correction
Hole Diameter: 8 ½“ Hole Depth: 10 km
Drillpipe Diameter: 5“ Mud Density: 1,01 kg/dm3
Lag Depth Correction (m) Cutting Density (kg/dm3)

Lag Depth Correction (m)

Mud Rheology:
Rotational Viscosimeter:R(300)=16; R(600)=21
Bingham (YP= 5,3 Pa; PV=5 mPas)
Power Law (K=0,68;n=0,39)

Typical Density Ranges of Rock Minerals

Quarz/Feldspars Amphiboles Corundum Zircon Magnetite

Mica Garnets Cutting Diameter: 1 mm

Cutting Shape: Sphere
1 Gel Building Properties of Drilling Fluids
Pump Pressure necessary for
Time dependent Gel Strength
Breaking Gel
100
Drilling Fluids show While static: Gel Mining Drilling Narrow
thixotropic properties While dynamic: Fluid 5 ½“DP/6“Hole Annulus
Thixotropy: GS@10min-GS@10s 80 KTB Pilot Hole

Gel Breaking Pressure

Measured with Rotational
Gel Strength GS (Pa)

Viscosimeter @ 3 RPM
60

fragile Gel
desirable g
40
r illin Hole
progressive Gel ta ry D 12 ¼“
Ro “DP/
dangerous 5½
20 y D r illing
Rotar
1 7 ½ “Hole
P /
5 ½“ D
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Initial GS 10 Time (min) 30 Gel Strength GS (Pa)
after 10s !Excessive Pump Pressures
GS too high high Surge/Swab Pressures !Formation Fracturing/Lost Circulation
!Borehole Instability
Insufficient Static !Uncontrolled Influx of Formation Fluids
GS too low Carrying Capacity for Cuttings
1 Optimizing Drilling Hydraulics
Objective: Maximizing Hydraulic Power at Bit
Rule of Thumb for Rotary Drilling: HPBit = HPSurface-HPParasitic
2/3 of total Pressure Loss at Bit

Hydraulic Power HP

ss
Lo
re
su
ce

es
rfa

Pr
Su

ic
sit
ra
Pa
Bit

Optimum

Pump Rate
Impact Parameters on Parasitic PL
Jet Nozzles in a Roller Cone Bit !Annular Geometry
Drillpipe
!Surface Equipment
Minimizing Parasitic Pressure Losses Annulus
!Drillpipe Size
PV as low as possible, Surface
!Mud Rheology (YP and PV)
YP as high as necessary for Cuttings Transport
1
Mud Additives Controlling Rheology

Viscosifiers Dispersants/Deflocculants

!Clays !Lignosulfonates
•Bentonite !Lignites
•Attapulgite !Phosphates
•Sepiolite !SSMA (Styrene Sulfonate Maleic Anhydride)
•Hectorite (important for High Temperature Applications)

!Polymers
•Biopolymers
-Xanthan
- Guar Gum
•Polyacrylate/Polyacrylamides
•HEC (Hydroxyethylcellulose)
•CMC (Carboxymethylcellulose)
1 Mineralogical Structure of Montmorillonite used in Drilling Muds

Faces negatively charged

+Edges positively charged +

+ +

+
Cardhouse Structure
Dispersion of Clay in Water Gel
Edge/Face Aggregation
Na+, H20 + +

- -
+

- -
+ +
H20 +
+

+
+
+
1 State Diagram of Colloidal Montmorillonite Suspension in Water

Increasing filtration rate, reduced water bonding

Clay

Decreasing Filtration Rate, Increasing Water Bonding

decreasing plastic Viscosity (PV) Platelets

Face to Edge

Dispersion
Increasing Plastic Viscosity (PV)
dispersed dispersed and flocculated
reversible

irreversible
Aggregation

Face to Face

aggregated aggregated and flocculated

Increasing Yield Point (YP) and Gel Strength

Flocculation
2 Support of the Borehole Wall – Balancing Formation Pressures

While Drilling Open Hole Insufficient Mud Density

Mud Column should act as „Hydraulic Casing“ Bad Filtration Properties

Sufficient Mud Density -Uncontrolled Fluid Entry

Good Filtration Properties -Borehole Instabilities
-Differential Sticking
2 Balancing Formation Pressures
Pressure of Mud Column
Normal Drilling (overbalanced)
Pmud = Densitymud * g * Depth
Mud Pressure > Formation Pressure
Pressure (MPa
overhydrostatic subhydrostatic

Formation
Pressure Profile

Depth (km)
Sub
hydrostatic

geopressured Aquifer
2 Instruments for Measuring Mud Density

Hydrometer

Mud Balance
2 Weighting Materials for Drilling Muds
Mud Density (kg/dm3)
Inert Solids
Solids Free Salt Solutions

Mud Density (kg/dm3)

2 Solids Content and Mud Density for Various Weighting Materials
Solids Concentration (Volume Fraction)

Mud Density (kg/dm3)

2 Supporting the Borehole Wall – Hydraulic Casing Effect
Mud Properties
!Mud Density -> Pressure Support
!Filtration Characteristics -> Wall Sealing
!Free Water Activity -> Interaction Rock Beginning Filtration Buildup of Filtercake
Invasion of:
Mud Filtrate

Mud
Mud
Impermeable

Mud

Mud
Formation
Filter Cake

Pore Pressure Wall sealed

Mud Particles

Good Filtration Characteristics

!Quick Filtercake Buildup
!Low Filtration Rate
!Filtercake
-thin
-impermeable
-slick
Pore Pressure

Minimizing Formation Damage

2
Filtercakes and Differential Sticking Mechanism
Overpull required to unstick BHA

Thick
Mudcake
2 Measuring Filtration Properties
Normal Conditions HTHP Conditions Parameters measured:
T: Room Temperature T: 300°F( 149°C) !Filtrate Volume (ml) after 30 min
∆P: 100 psi (7 bar) P: 500 Psi (35 bar) !Cake Thickness (mm)
∆P: 100 psi (7 bar)

API Filter Press

2 Measuring Free Water Activity of Drilling Fluids
2 Destabilisation of Red Shale Caused by Contact with Water
CST < 70 s

Original Sample Sample after 20 min in Water

CST >3600 s
Destabilisation Process is favoured
by High Free Water Activity

High Free Water Activity <-> Low CST

Low Free Water Activity <-> High CST

Sample after 24h in Dehydril HT (2%)

2 Additives Controlling Filtration Properties and Free Water Activity
Polymers !Starch
Bentonite
!Polyanionic Cellulose (PAC)
!Sodium
Polymers act as Protection Colloids Carboxymethylcellulose(CMC)
Preventing Aggregation of !Hydroxyethylcellulose(HEC)
Clay Particles !Polyacrylates/Polyacrylamides
!Vinylsulfonate/Vinylamide-
Copolymers (VS/VA)
2
Prevention of Lost Circulation – Factors to Consider
Types of Lost Circulation Zones
High Permeable Gravel
Preventive Methods
•Reducing Mud Density
•Avoiding Pressure Surges
•Lowering Gel Strength
•Lowering Equivalent Circulation Density
(ECD)
Fighting Against Lost Circulation
Application of Sealing Material

Sealing at Sealing within

Fracture The Fracture
Natural/Artificial Fractures Face

Proper Size Distribution

Types of Materials used:

•Fibrous (Raw Cotton, Mineral Fibers, Glass Fibers)
•Flaky (Cellophane, Mica, Cotton Seed Hulls)
•Granular (Perlite, Ground Plastic, Nut Shells, Wood)
•Thick Slurry Pills (Bentonite/Polymer, Cement)
Caverneous Formation
3 Reducing Friction – Controlling Torque/Drag
Borehole Curvature
Dogleg Severity: deg/m

Rotating
Drillstring

Trip In/Out
Drillstring

Borehole Curvature
Normal Force FN

Friction Force FR

FR = µ * FN

Drag (Trip In/Out)

Torque (Rotation)

Mud Lubricity Coefficient

3
Lubricity Coefficients of Drilling Muds
4
Inhibiting Corrosion
Pitting Corrosion Inside Drillpipe Stress Corrosion at DP-Tooljoint

Corrosion is the Major Cause

of Drillpipe Failures

Forms of Corrosion Measures

!Uniform Corrosion !Raising pH of Mud
!Localized Corrosion (Pitting) !Reducing dissolved Oxygen in
•Bimetallic Corrosion Mud
•Oxygen Concentration Cells •Vacuum Degassing
-Crevice Corrosion •Oxygen Scavengers
-Air/Water Interface -Sodium Sulfite
-Oxygen Tubercles -Sodium Nitrite
!Addition of Corrosion Inhibitors
-Scaling/Sludges
•Filming Amines
!Corrosion Fatigue •Sulfide Scavengers
!Stress Corrosion •Zinc Carbonate
•Sulfide Cracking •Sodium Molybdate
•Hydrogen Embrittlement
4
Mud Additives for pH and Alkalinity Control
5 Mud Circulation System and Solids Control Equipment
Mud Properties Must Aid Kelly Hose
Solids Control Equipment
Effective Cuttings Removal Is the Base for
Standpipe Cutting Sampling
Swivel
Mud Pump
Mixing Hopper
Centrifuge

Desilter
Desander

Mud Return
Degasser
Flowline
Suction Pit

Shaker Screen