Controlling Barite Sag Can Reduce Drilling Problems

CONTROLLING BARITE SAG CAN REDUCE DRILLING PROBLEM...
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CONTROLLING BARITE SAG CAN

REDUCE DRILLING PROBLEMS
02/14/1994
Mario Zamora, Dan Jefferson

M I Drilling Fluids Co.
Houston
A new method for tracking drilling fluid density variations helps detect barite sag, which may
contribute to drilling problems.
The method is based in part on continuously measuring fluid density during the first
circulation after the fluid has been static for some time.
In deviated wells or wells with weighted fluids, barite sag has aggravated or caused drilling
problems such as lost circulation, stuck pipe, high torque and drag, poor cement jobs, logging
difficulties, and well control difficulties. Sag is defined as a significant variation in mud density
measured during the first bottoms up circulation after a weighted mud has remained static for
some time in a directional well.
The density variations are caused in part by slumping of beds formed when weight material
settles to the low side of the hole. Furthermore, the bed formation occurs while the fluid is
circulating and not just during static conditions.
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Fig. 1 is an example of barite sag measured after a trip on a Gulf of Mexico well. The roughly
sinusoidal shape of the graph is the characteristic "fingerprint" of barite sag: light mud,
followed by heavy mud, and then the original mud weight.
As expected, the heaviest mud weight usually occurs at bottoms up. The maximum mud
weight difference from sag on this well was 2.4 ppg. Mud weight differences as large as 4 ppg
and 7 ppg have been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea, respectively.
Sag was initially thought to occur more often in oil based muds, but it has now been found in
all types of muds ranging in mud weight from 12 to 20 ppg. In the past, sag was often ignored
or simply tolerated, presumably because the link to drilling problems was not clearly
established. Heavy mud off bottom usually was attributed to slugs or mud dehydration. Many
companies now willingly measure mud weight continually during a bottoms up circulation.
This practice has confirmed the existence of sag and increased awareness of its potential
consequences.
Sag is difficult to prevent, but its consequences can be minimized by using proper drilling
practices and appropriate mud properties. Barite sag is not entirely a mud problem and must
be considered from the perspective of the overall drilling process. Perhaps sag management
should be applied in the same manner as the task force approach developed for reducing
stuck pipe problems.1
SAG MECHANISMS
In the sag process, a bed of weight material is deposited on the low side of an inclined well
bore. (Barite is the most common weight material, but hematite and calcium carbonate also
are used.) The higher the specific gravity, the greater the tendency to form a bed. Under the
right conditions, the bed can slide or slump toward the bottom of the hole. This slumping
causes the sag fingerprint shown in Fig. 1 when the mud is circulated bottoms up.
Despite the association of sag with operations involving static mud, sag is basically a dynamic
settling problem. The attempts to minimize sag by treating it as a static problem, for the most
part, have been unsuccessful. Laboratory tests and field experience have proven that most of
the barite bed is formed while the mud is being circulated, especially at low to moderate flow
rates. This phenomenon was first reported in a study of cementing problems in deviated well
bores and was later confirmed by an extensive study devoted to barite sag.2 3 Additional
settling and most of the slumping occurs during static periods.
Despite several reports of sag from flow rates normally used during drilling, density variations
usually are not apparent during normal circulation for several reasons:
The mud system tends to reach equilibrium and mask downhole formation of barite
beds.
Flow rates typically are sufficiently high to discourage bed formation, unless there is a
wide variation in well geometry.
The shear stress imposed on the bed surface may be sufficient to prevent slumping.
A bed has the greatest tendency to slump at intermediate inclination angles of 30 600. The
most severe slumping can occur at angles of 40 500. Disturbances from tripping drill pipe or
logging tools sometimes may be sufficient to initiate slumping.
Surprisingly, slumping beds can cause changes in hydrostatic pressure. This pressure
change was recently observed in an S shaped Gulf Coast well. It was thought that an
increase in hydrostatic pressure measured at the bottom of the well was caused by the
slumping of a heavy sag bed from a 600 interval into a lower 470 interval. The increase in the
length of the vertical component of the heavy bed is one possible explanation for the pressure
change.
COMPLEX FLOW
Barite sag in directional wells is aggravated by complex flow patterns, which differ
dramatically from those in vertical holes. Skewed velocity profiles caused by eccentric drill
pipe contribute to bed formation. Other mechanisms, however, can also cause a significant
increase in settling rate.
Hindered settling is predominant in vertical wells. Settling particles displace fluid that provides
an upward force to neighboring particles. The net effect is an overall decrease in settling rate.
Settling is further reduced if gel structures develop while the mud is static or if the
combination of viscosity and annular velocity overcomes the effects of gravity.
An orderly flow pattern known as "Boycott settling" (named after a researcher) forms when
the hole is inclined.4 The settling rate can increase by three to five times under these
conditions. Fig. 2 illustrates Boycott settling under static (not circulating) conditions.
A clarified (lighter density) layer forms along the high side of the hole and tends to move
upwards. A sediment (heavier density) layer forms concurrently along the low side and tends
to move downwards. A cross sectional pressure gradient develops which, in effect, causes a
flow that should be counteracted by the mud gel strength. Even high gel strengths, however,
may be ineffective in preventing existing beds from slumping.
Boycott settling can be easily demonstrated in a zag tube, which consists of three segments
of clear acrylic tubing connected by 450 elbows (Fig. 3). Colored glitter particles are
dispersed in biopolymer viscosified water to show the complex flow patterns during seemingly
static conditions. When the zag tube is placed as shown on the left in Fig. 3, hindered settling
occurs in the vertical sections and Boycott settling occurs in the inclined section. When the
zag tube is inclined as shown on the right in Fig. 3, each segment undergoes Boycott settling,
and the flow patterns in the elbows are especially interesting.
Low to moderate flow rates can effectively accelerate Boycott settling. Circulating mud will
flow along the high side, forcing a corresponding increase in the slump rate of the barite bed
along the low side. Fig. 4, taken from a video recording of a lab experiment, demonstrates the
three flow zones possible in a tube under dynamic conditions. The suspension zone, between
the yellow lines in the center of the tube, simultaneously accepted particles from the flowing
zone above and fed particles to the slump zone sliding downwards. The flow pattern clearly
would be further complicated had the experiment been conducted in an eccentric annulus,
similar to drill pipe in a well. Adequate models describing this behavior have yet to be
developed.
Higher flow rates, particularly when coupled with pipe rotation, disturb Boycott settling. The
velocity profile may still be asymmetrical, but the formation of barite beds may be significantly,
reduced.
FIELD MEASUREMENTS
Sag can be identified and corrected only if mud weight variations are documented in trip
reports and analyzed at the well site. The mud should be weighed at regular intervals during
the bottoms up circulation. Ideally, the mud weight should be measured continuously if
automatic equipment is available or every 5 10 min otherwise. The extent of the density
variations indicates the severity of barite bed deposition and movement.
Currently, there is no convenient technique to track and compare trip reports. The following
equation, called the sag register, should help track barite sag.
Sr = e(10 WdfWc)
In this equation, Sr is the sag register (dimensionless), Wd is the maximum mud weight
difference (ppg), and Wc is the circulating mud weight (ppg). Wd is determined by subtracting
the minimum mud weight from the maximum mud weight recorded during the bottoms up
circulation.
If appropriate, the maximum mud weight may be adjusted for a known barite slug. Wc is the
baseline or normal mud weight.
If no sag is detected, Sr = 1. Limited data suggest minimal sag problems should be expected
for 1
Trip reports are sometimes difficult to interpret. For example, gas cut mud encountered during
bottoms up circulations may skew data. A pressurized mud balance, instead of a rig balance,
may be necessary to obtain accurate data.
Fig. 5 is a plot of mud weight measurements using a rig mud balance and a pressurized mud
balance during a bottoms up circulation on an offshore well. The pressurized mud balance
gave more accurate sag data because the mud was gas cut. The Sr values were 3.96 and
2.12 for the pressurized and rig balances, respectively. Also, unusual or irregular circulation
schedules and hole geometries can create complex mud columns. If a complex mud column
forms, delineating downhole conditions may become difficult or impossible.
LAB STUDIES
Reproducing field trip report results in the laboratory is difficult. Duplication of downhole
conditions and field pumping schedules are perhaps the biggest obstacles. Nevertheless,
laboratory studies have been effective in evaluating critical parameters affecting sag and
helping suggest guidelines to minimize its occurrence.3 The need to perform tests under
dynamic conditions is paramount.
The investigations to date have examined the dynamic and static behavior of more than 75
field muds. For most of the muds tested, barite bed formation began as soon as circulation
was initiated. The bed shown in Fig. 6 was formed in the laboratory at 450. Mud was drained
from the 4 in. test section at the end of the test. Throughout the testing, the dense beds
remained fluid and began to slump once their mass increased above a threshold level,
regardless of whether the fluid was being circulated. In some cases, the barite bed could be
removed by increasing the mud velocity.
Static settling was minimal in most cases. Low flow rates dynamically enhanced the Boycott
effect and accelerated settling. The resulting density stratifications were often clearly visible:
clarified fluid along the upper side of the tube, a fluid bed along the lower side of the tube, and
a suspension zone in between.
The majority of the lab experiments have been conducted in a flow loop with a tubular test
section placed at 450, although some tests have used other inclinations and geometries.3
The data are taken while the fluid is circulated at decreasing flow rates for three 20 min
periods followed by a 3 hr static period in a tube placed at 450. Cross sectional and
longitudinal mud density differences are measured using nine ports in the test section. At the
end of the static period, the mud is drained in regular intervals and weighed.
SAG INDEX
A well site method (sag index) for determining sag was developed to help quantify or pilot test
the impact of potential fluid adjustments in the field.5 A Fann viscometer is used to shear the
mud for dynamic test conditions. Mud samples taken from the bottom of the heat cup are
weighed before and after shearing the mud at 100 rpm (170 sec 1) for 30 min at 1200 F.
The ability of a mud to suspend barite under dynamic conditions certainly is important;
however, other factors may be equally significant. The sag index is the product of the mud
weight difference measured in the viscometer and four constants based on key operational
factors affecting sag: well bore inclination, flow regime, hole diameter, and length of the
inclined well bore.
The sag index is useful during well planning because it can estimate sag potential
qualitatively. Studies are currently under way to correlate the sag register and the sag index.
MINIMIZING SAG
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to minimizing sag is to change the belief that sag is solely a
mud problem. Although mud properties certainly play key roles, the failure to use proper
drilling practices can easily override certain mud contributions. The possibility of sag
problems should be anticipated during the planning stages of directional wells that require
weighted drilling fluids.
The physics of barite sag is such that even muds with ideal properties cannot fully suspend
barite under all conditions. For example, weighted muds circulated at low flow rates for
extended periods usually form barite beds regardless of the mud properties.
Key mud adjustments include increasing the low shear rate viscosity and improving the
suspension properties. These properties are most commonly achieved in water based muds
by using biopolymers and in od based and synthetic based muds by using rheology modifiers.
Fann viscometer values at low shear rates (3 and 6 rpm) typically are used as guidelines to
achieve the desired mud properties. The Bingham plastic yield point is not a reliable indicator
of low shear rate viscosity.
High gel strengths are necessary for static suspension. The benefits of elevated gel strengths
are not realized in dynamic situations, however. Furthermore, the gel strengths should be
relatively flat to prevent an adverse impact on drilling.
Excessive mud thinning and flocculation, which create free water and eliminate low shear rate
viscosities, should be avoided. Improper barite wetting in nonaqueous muds promotes hard
setting and greatly intensifies sag.
Annular velocity is a key parameter in minimizing sag. High annular velocities provide energy
to minimize bed deposition and help remove existing beds. Even short lapses in velocity
levels, however, may induce bed formation that cannot be prevented from slumping. Drill pipe
rotation and reciprocation enhance the benefits of high annular velocity.
Staging to bottom (circulating periodically as the pipe is tripped in the hole) during trips can
systematically remove density variations that may have developed before and during the trip.
Staging reduces the length of the heavy mud column in the annulus, thus decreasing the
likelihood of lost returns during the bottoms up circulation. Fig. 7 shows an improved mud
density, profile achieved by staging in the hole on sequential bit trips in a Gulf of Mexico well.
The staging reduced the Sr value from 5.41 to 1.45. Barite sag and its consequences can
only be minimized when all related factors are under adequate control. Fig. 8 is a trip report
demonstrating the benefits of proper sag management (Sr = 1.51). Although barite sag was
not eliminated, it was effectively controlled to minimize adverse effects on the drilling.
REFERENCES
1. Bradley, W.B., et al., "Task force reduce stuck pipe costs," OGJ, May 27, 1991,
pp. 84 89
2. Keller, S.R., et al., "Deviated Wellbore Cementing: Part 1 Problems," Journal of

Petroleum Technology, August 1987, pp. 955 60.
3. Hanson, P.M., Trigg, T.K., Rachal, G., and Zamora, M., "Investigation of Barite
'Sag' in Weighted Drilling Fluids in Highly Deviated Wells," SPE paper 20423,
presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers 65th Annual Technical
Conference, New Orleans, Sept. 23 26, 1990.
4. Boycott, A.E., "Sedimentation of Blood Corpuscles," Nature, Vol. 104, 1920, p.

532.
5. Jefferson, D.T., "New Procedure Helps Monitor Sag in the Field," ASME 91 PET
3, presented at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Energy Sources
Technology Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Jan. 20 24, 1991.
Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
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CONTROLLING BARITE SAG CAN REDUCE DRILLING PROBLEM...

CONTROLLING BARITE SAG CAN

Mario Zamora, Dan Jefferson

2. Keller, S.R., et al., "Deviated Wellbore Cementing: Part 1 Problems," Journal of

4. Boycott, A.E., "Sedimentation of Blood Corpuscles," Nature, Vol. 104, 1920, p.

Copyright 1994 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.

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