03 - Functions of Drilling Fluids BMS 2013

Functions of a Drilling Fluid
FUNCTIONS OF DRILLING FLUIDS
 Remove cuttings from well
 Control formation pressure
 Suspend and release cuttings
 Seal permeable formations
 Maintain wellbore stability
 Minimize formation damage
 Cool, lubricate, and support drilling assembly
2 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Transmit hydraulic energy to bit and downhole tools
 Ensure adequate formation evaluation
 Control corrosion
 Facilitate cementing and completion
 Minimize environmental impact
 Prevent gas hydrate formation

Remove Cuttings from the Well
 Function Of:
– Cuttings - Size, Shape and Density
– Rate Of Penetration
– Drill String Rotation
– Annular Velocity A.V.(ft/min)
 Flow Rate
= Pump rate (bbls/min)
 Where possible, the annular velocity should
Annular vol (bbls/ft)
be 100 ft/min; even higher in deviated holes.
 In large hole sections the A.V.
May be as low as 20 ft/min.
.
 Flow profile
 Turbulent - flow regime is chaotic, non-deterministic.
 Laminar - (streamline flow) fluid flows in parallel layers

Remove Cuttings from the Well
 If the A.V. is insufficient to clean the hole the viscosity must be

increased
– For top hole high viscosities must be used
 Cuttings removal is harder in deviated and horizontal holes. (30°- 35° to 60°- 65°
are the hardest areas to clean)
 Well Bore Orientation
– Vertical, Inclined or Horizontal
 Mud Properties:
– Viscosity
 Thixotropy- the property of certain gels or fluids that are thick (viscous) under normal
conditions, but flow (become thin, less viscous) when shaken, agitated, or otherwise stressed.
 LSRV – Low Shear Rate Viscosity
– Density

Control Formation Pressures
 Formation Fluids and Gases

 Pressured Shales
 Tectonic Forces – forces generated from within the earth,
causing uplift and plate movement.
 Overburden Pressure, Horizontal Wells – pressure or stress
imposed on a layer of rock by the weight of overlying material.

 Mud Density – used to control pressures.
 If the fluid hydrostatic pressure does not balance pore pressure,

the following may occur:
– Influxes of formation fluid into the wellbore
– Lost circulation
– Hole Instability
– Stuck pipe
7 7 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 The pressure balancing the formation Hydrostatic Pressure (psi)

pressure is composed from the = Height (ft) x Density(ppg) x 0.052
hydrostatic pressure under static
conditions:
– P = True Vertical Depth(ft) x Density (ppg) x 0.052
 Under circulating conditions the effective

pressure is increased by the pumping
pressure. This forms the Equivalent
Pore
 Circulating density (ECD): Pressure
(Not normally
known)
– ECD = Density (ppg) + Ann Press Loss

(TVD x 0.052)
Suspend and Release Cuttings
 Prevent Cuttings Fall After Trips and Connections
 Prevent Packing-off When Not Circulating
 Improve Solids Control Efficiency
 Factors Involved:
– Shear Thinning
– Gel Strengths & Thixotropy
– Wellbore Angle

Seal Permeable Formations
 Sands
– Depleted
– Unconsolidated
– Coarse
 Fractures
 Vugular formations - a cavity, void or large pores in a

rock formation.
 Caverns
Maintain Wellbore Stability
 Mechanical Hole Erosion

– Turbulent Flow in Annulus
– Nozzle Shear Rates >100,000 Sec-1
 Hydratable Clays
– Inhibitive Water Based Muds
– Oil Based Muds
– Synthetic Based Muds

Minimize Reservoir Damage
 Prevent pore throat blocking
 Prevent emulsion blocking
 No change to natural formation wetting
 Prevent clay swelling in production zones
 Minimize skin damage

Cool, Lubricate, & Support The Bit & Drilling Assembly
 Transfers heat away from the source

distributing it throughout the well
 Reduce Coefficient of Friction (COF)
 Buoyancy provided by Mud Density

BUOYANCY FACTOR FOR STEEL PIPE
where “SG” is Specific Gravity
BF = SG of Steel (or ppg) – SG of Mud (or ppg)

SG of Steel (or ppg)
OR
BF = 1 – SG of Mud
SG of Steel
Steel has a SG of 7.857 (or weighs 65.48 ppg)
In order to figure out the actual weight of drilling string in mud, the air weight of
drilling string times the buoyancy factor is equal to the actual weight in mud, called
buoyed weight.
• For example , if the drill string weighs 350,000 lb in air.
• The buoyancy factor for a 13.0 ppg fluid: BF = (65.48 – 13.0) = .8015
65.48
• The bouyed weight of drill string in 13.0 ppg mud is then:
350,000lb x 0.8015 = 280,000 lbs.
4
ORIGIN BUOYANCY FACTOR FOR STEEL PIPE
Where:
WBs = Weight of Buoyed Steel in fluid
Ws = Weight of Steel
Bf = Buoyancy of the Fluid
g = Gravity Acceleration
Vs = Volume of Steel in the fluid
Vdisp.f = Volume of fluid displaced by steel
X = Bouyancy Factor
Considering that Vs and Vdisp.f are

the same is possible to divide them
5
Transmit Hydraulic Energy to Tools & Bit
 Provide sufficient energy for downhole tools

– Mud Motors, LWD, PWD, Plus the Bit
 Clean beneath bit before cuttings are re-ground
 Optimize bit for:

– Impact Force
– Hydraulic Horsepower

Ensure Adequate Formation Evaluation
 Avoid Excessive Flush Zones
 Compatible With Required Logs
 Non-fluorescent
 Good GC/MS Identification

(Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry)

Control Corrosion
 Corrosive Agents
– Oxygen
– Carbon Dioxide
– Hydrogen Sulfide
 Inhibition, Chemical Barrier
 Scavenger, Neutralize Corrosive Agents

Facilitate Cementing and Completion
 Mud displaced easily without channeling
 Thin, easily removable wall cake
 Mud products that don’t interfere with cement chemistry
 Use reversible invert emulsion system

Turbulent Flow Sweep Displacement
Rules of Thumb For Cementing
 Turbulent flow of Pre-flushes all around the pipe.
 Contact time of 10 minutes across all zones requiring isolation.
 Chemical wash viscosity of 5 centipoise.
 Density of displacing fluid close to that of the displaced fluid.
20 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved 20

Density Rules of Thumb For Cementing
 Density of displacing fluid should be greater than the density of the fluid
being displaced
rspacer > 1.1 (rmud)
rcement > 1.1 (rspacer)

Mud Removal Steps For Cementing
A 3-step process
1. Hole Cleaning
– Controlled and optimized mud properties
– Wiper trips
– Maximum volume circulating
– Caliper log

Mud Removal Steps For Cementing (continued)
2. Conditioning
– Break gel strength
– Lower rheologies
– Reduce drill solids
3. Displace mud from the annulus

– Centralization
– Optimized slurry placement
Flow regime & Flow rates
– Pipe movement
Minimize Environmental Impact
 Non-toxic:
– Meets Local Toxicity Protocol
– Meets Standards for Heavy Metals
 Non-persistent, meets local degradation standards
 Does not create sheens

Prevent Gas Hydrate Formation
 Gas Hydrates:
– Type of Ice Which Traps Gas (an “ice-like” mixture of gas and oil)
– Appears naturally in Arctic Permafrost and Deepwater Seabed
deposits
– 1 ft3 of Gas Hydrates can contain 170 ft3 of natural gas.
– Gas Hydrates can normally form @ Depth > 800 ft and Temp < 45° F
– In Deep Water well control situations, gas hydrates can plug risers,
BOPs and choke and kill lines.

 Remove cuttings from well
 Control formation pressure
 Suspend and release cuttings
 Seal permeable formations
 Maintain wellbore stability
 Minimize formation damage
 Cool, lubricate, and support drilling assembly

 Transmit hydraulic energy to bit and downhole tools
 Ensure adequate formation evaluation
 Control corrosion
 Facilitate cementing and completion
 Minimize environmental impact
 Prevent gas hydrate formation

03 - Functions of Drilling Fluids BMS 2013

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Functions of a Drilling Fluid

FUNCTIONS OF DRILLING FLUIDS

 Remove cuttings from well

 Control formation pressure

 Suspend and release cuttings

 Seal permeable formations

 Maintain wellbore stability

 Minimize formation damage

 Cool, lubricate, and support drilling assembly

2 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Transmit hydraulic energy to bit and downhole tools

 Ensure adequate formation evaluation

 Facilitate cementing and completion

 Minimize environmental impact

 Prevent gas hydrate formation

3 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

4 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 If the A.V. is insufficient to clean the hole the viscosity must be

5 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Formation Fluids and Gases

6 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Mud Density – used to control pressures.

 If the fluid hydrostatic pressure does not balance pore pressure,

7 7 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 The pressure balancing the formation Hydrostatic Pressure (psi)

– P = True Vertical Depth(ft) x Density (ppg) x 0.052

 Under circulating conditions the effective

– ECD = Density (ppg) + Ann Press Loss

 Prevent Cuttings Fall After Trips and Connections

 Prevent Packing-off When Not Circulating

 Improve Solids Control Efficiency

9 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Vugular formations - a cavity, void or large pores in a

 Mechanical Hole Erosion

11 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Prevent pore throat blocking

 Prevent emulsion blocking

 No change to natural formation wetting

 Prevent clay swelling in production zones

 Minimize skin damage

12 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Transfers heat away from the source

 Reduce Coefficient of Friction (COF)

 Buoyancy provided by Mud Density

13 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

BF = SG of Steel (or ppg) – SG of Mud (or ppg)

1 14 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

WBs = Weight of Buoyed Steel in fluid

Bf = Buoyancy of the Fluid

Vs = Volume of Steel in the fluid

Vdisp.f = Volume of fluid displaced by steel

Considering that Vs and Vdisp.f are

1 15 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Provide sufficient energy for downhole tools

 Clean beneath bit before cuttings are re-ground

 Optimize bit for:

16 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Avoid Excessive Flush Zones

 Compatible With Required Logs

 Good GC/MS Identification

17 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved

 Inhibition, Chemical Barrier

 Scavenger, Neutralize Corrosive Agents

18 Copyright ©2001-2012 NExT. All rights reserved