Drilling mud/Drilling fluid

Drilling fluid is preparation of water, clays, and chemicals circulated in oil-well drilling for
lubricating and cooling the bit, flushing the rock cuttings to the surface, as well as to prevent
cave-ins.
The drilling-fluid system—commonly known as the “mud system”—is the single component
of the well-construction process that remains in contact with the wellbore throughout the
entire drilling operation.

Function of Drilling Fluid/Mud:

(a) Cool the drill bit and lubricate its teeth;
(b) Lubricate and cool the drill string;
(c) Control formation pressure;
(d) Carry cuttings out of the hole;
(e) Help in the evaluation and interpretation of well logs.

(a) Cool the drill bit and lubricate its teeth:

One of the prime functions of mud is to cool the drill bit and lubricate its teeth. The drilling
action requires a considerable amount of mechanical energy in the form of weight-on-bit,
rotation and hydraulic energy. A large proportion of this energy is dissipated as heat, which
must be removed to allow the drill bit to function properly.

(b) Lubricate and cool the drill string:

A rotating drill string generates a considerable amount of heat which must be dissipated
outside the hole. The mud helps to cool the drill string by absorbing this heat and releasing it
to the air surrounding at the surface pit tanks.

(c) Control formation pressure:

For safe drilling, high-formation pressures must be contained within the hole to prevent
damage to equipment and injury to drilling personnel. The drilling mud achieves this by
providing a hydrostatic pressure just greater than the formation pressure.

(d) Carry cuttings out of the hole:

For effective drilling, cuttings generated by the bit must be removed immediately. The
drilling mud carries these cuttings up the hole and to the surface.

(e) Help in the evaluation and interpretation of well logs:

Wire line logs are run in mud-filled holes in order to ascertain the existence and size of
hydrocarbon zones. Hence, the drilling mud must possess such properties that it will aid the
production of good logs.
Properties:
The most important properties of mud are:
(a) Viscosity;
(b) Yield point; and
(c) Gel strength.

(a) Viscosity: It is a measure of the friction between the layers of the fluid and provides a
scale for describing the thickness of a given fluid.
(b) Yield point:
A stress, sufficiently beyond the elastic limit that the material begins to exhibit plastic
properties and continues to deform without further increase of load or force.
In case of drilling fluid, the yield point is a measure of the forces that cause mud to
gel, once it is motionless, and it directly affects the carrying capacity of mud.
(c) Gel strength: Gel strength is a measure of the ability of mud to develop and retain a
gel structure. It defines the ability of mud to hold solids in suspension.