University of Zawia

Faculty of Oil & Gas Engineering

Drilling Fluid Lab

Experiment

Sand content

Prepared by

Supervisor by
List of contents
1 AIM.............................................................................................................................................. 1
2 THEORY........................................................................................................................................ 1
3 APPARATUS AND MATERIALS....................................................................................................... 1
4 TEST EQUIPMENT......................................................................................................................... 3
5 PROCEDURE.................................................................................................................................. 3
6 CONCLUSIONS.............................................................................................................................. 3

List of figures
FIGURE (1) ELECTRICAL MUD MIXER................................................................................................ 2
FIGURE (2) LAB SPATULA................................................................................................................. 2
FIGURE (3) BEAKER ......................................................................................................................... 2
FIGURE (4) GRADUATED CYLINDER.................................................................................................. 2
FIGURE (6) SAND CONTENT EQUIPMENT.......................................................................................... 2
FIGURE (5) WEIGHTING MATERIAL................................................................................................... 2
FIGURE (7) MUD BALANCE............................................................................................................... 2

i
1 Aim
Determining the percentage volume of contained sand-sized particles in
the drilling fluid using Sand Content Equipment.

2 Theory
The sand sized particles in drilling fluid defined as particles larger than
74 μm in size. The sand volume addition to void spaces between grains
usually measured as volume percentage. Because of reliability and test
simplicity of equipment's the sieve analysis is preferred method for
determining the sand content (Pitt, 2000)
Large amount of sand may result in the thick wall filter cake deposition,
or settle down at the bottom of hole while circulation is stopped. Also,
high sand content may cause high abrasion of pump parts and pipe line
connections. The Sand Content Equipment has a developed sieve consist
of a special mesh size 0.08 mm (200-Mesh), proper plastic funnel, and a
special developed measuring tube. The measuring tube has some marks
that indicate the amount of filled drilling fluid and water. Since the
percentage of sand can be read directly from the measuring tube from 0 –
20 % (Kate et al, 1998).
The amount and type of solids in a drilling fluid are main source to
controlling rheological and filtration properties of a drilling mud. The
amount of each various types of solids is necessary to properly control the
sold particles (Kruse et al, 1975).

3 Apparatus and Materials

Apparatus
 Electronic Mud Mixer: Is a device used to mix liquid
with solid particles. Shown in figure 1
 Lab Spatula: Used to mix mud and water manually.
Shown in figure 2
 Beaker shown in figure 3
 Weighting material shown in figure 4
 Graduated Cylinder: Is a cylindrical container used to
measure volume of a liquid. Shown in figure 5

1
  Sand Content Equipment: Is a device used to measure
Sand-Sized particles in drilling fluid. Shown in figure6
 Mud Balance: Is a device used to measure fluid density.
Shown in figure 7

Figure (1) electrical mud mixer Figure (2) lab spatula Figure (3) beaker

Figure (4) graduated cylinder Figure (5) weighting material Figure (6) Sand Content
Equipment

Figure (7) mud balance

2
 Materials
 Water
 Bentonite: Is a weighting material used to create a WBM
 Mud: Is a mixture of weighting material and water
 Barite: Is a weighting material used to rise a density of mud

4 Test Equipment
The Sand Content Equipment consists of special developed sieve with
mesh-size 0.08 mm (200- mesh), a proper plastic funnel and a special
modeled measuring tube. A mark at the measuring tube indicates the
amount of the filled in drilling fluid. The percentage of sand may read off
directly from the measuring tube graduated from 0 to 20%.

5 Procedure
1. A drilling mud has been prepared as discussed before in Lab 2.
2. Pour mud into the glass measuring tube until it fills up to the mark
labeled” mud to here” then add 100 ml of water until the mark
labeled “water to here” and close mouth of the tube with thumb
and shake it strongly.
3. Pour the mixture through the mesh screen, being careful to wash
everything out of the tube with clear water through the same
screen. Wash sand retained on screen with a stream of water to
remove all mud and shape particles.
4. Fit the funnel down over top of the screen, slowly invert it, turning
tip of funnel into mouth of tube, and wash sand back into tube with
a fine spray of clear water on the back side of the screen. Allow the
sand to settle.
5. Read the volume percentage of sand using the scale on graduated
tube.
6. Record the sand content volume by percentage.

6 conclusions
This experiment can conclude that, a drilling mud may contain some sand
sized particles which they should remove if exceeded a specified range.
However, the volume percentage of sand content measure with a device
named Sand Content Equipment.