Drilling Fluid

Basic Principles

Jakarta Drilling School

October 9th, 2021
“Mud is the lifeblood of your well”

Mud represents 5 - 15 % of drilling costs but can

cause 100% of drilling problems
Agenda
• Drilling fluid functions
• Drilling fluid requirement
• Weight
• Carrying capacity
• Filter cake
• Other parameters
• Clay swelling
• Drilling fluid types and composition
• OBM and WBM
• Composition
• Drilling fluid design process
Drilling Fluid - Functions
When drilling a hole:
Bore hole

• Cutting needs to be removed from the

Drill string bore hole to be able to drill deeper. If
not removed, the drill string will get
Formation Fluid stuck.
• Formation fluids should NOT enter the
borehole during the drilling process.
Rock Pressure • Rock pressure needs to be
Cutting
compensated to maintain wellbore
stability.
Bit
Surrounding rock
Use a Drilling Fluid
Cutting
Drilling Fluid - Functions
Pump
Solid Control Equipment Mud Tank

Separated cutting

Drill string Drilling fluid functions:

• Cutting removal (hole cleaning).
Formation Fluid
Pressure • Prevent the formation fluid to enter the
Phydr well bore.
• Compensate the rock pressure.
Rock Pressure
• Isolate the bore hole from surrounding.
rock to avoid fluid loss (filtrate).
Filter Cake at the
bore hole wall • If present, control of sensitive formations
Bit
(e.g. swelling clays).
Surrounding rock
• Others: Cooling (bit/BHA), Transmit
hydraulic energy to down hole tools; data
Drilling fluid Drilling fluid with suspended cutting
transfer to surface, etc.
Drilling Fluid Requirements
To full fill its function Drilling Fluid shall meet the following main
requirements:
• To circulate drilling fluid through the borehole, it must be pumpable.
• Have a carrying capacity to carry the cutting to surface, and able to
suspend the solid in it in case the pumps are shut off.
• The weight / density shall be adjustable to reach the desired
hydrostatic pressure to compensate the formation fluid pressure and
the rock pressure.
• Have the ability to create a filter cake on the bore hole wall to
avoid/minimize the fluid loss.
Drilling Fluid Requirements
Other requirements:
• If water sensitive formations (shale formation) are present, the
drilling fluid shall prevent the shales from swelling.
• When entering the reservoir : Must not damage the reservoir.
• Environmental friendly.
• The mud properties shall not have an negative influence on other
operations, e.g. logging operation.
• Economics.
 Drilling Fluid Requirements
Drilling fluid is a usually a mixture of a liquid (water or oil), with substances
dissolved, and solids suspended in it.

Fresh Mud after

mixed circulated through
mud the bore hole

Solid particles, added intentionally to control the mud

properties (e.g. Barite, Bentonite)
Drilling Solid (cutting).
Fluid
The drilling solid (cutting) must be removed from the drilling fluid though the solid
control equipment. The other solid particles shall remain in it.
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Weight / Density
By adjusting the density of the drilling fluid, the hydrostatic pressure can be
adjusted as needed.

Phyd
Phyd = D x TVD x 0,052

Where D2 > D1
T
• Phyd = Hydrostatic pressure (psi) V
• D = Density (ppg) D D2
• TVD = True vertical depth (ft)
D1
 Drilling Fluid Requirements – Weight / Density
Density measurement
API Mud balance – Model 140, Fann.
(www.fann.com)
• Density measurement with an
API Mud Balance
• Units: ppg or pcf or g/cm3
• Use API pressurized mud balance
if air is available in the drilling
fluid
Pressurized API Mud balance – Model
TruWate, Fann. (www.fann.com)
Viscosity
- Viscosity is the internal resistance to flow. It gives information on how thick a fluid is
and how easy it flows.
- In a high viscos fluid, the cohesive forces between the fluid parts are stronger compare
to a low viscos fluid. A fluid with a higher viscosity will thus have a higher capacity to
carry solid compare to a fluid with a low viscosity
- In a drilling fluid, the viscosity is not only influenced by liquid phase, but also by the
solids suspended in it. Cohesive forces and Friction between the fluid and solid, and
between the solids it self also impact the viscosity.
- To circulate a high viscosity fluid more energy is needed (higher pump pressure)
compare to a fluid with low viscosity.
- Desired is a drilling fluid with a relative low viscosity when circulated but a relative high
viscosity when the fluid is not circulated. The high viscosity when the fluid is not
circulated will prevent the solid to settle.
 Viscosity
Annular & Slip Velocity

Vs = Slip velocity of the solid particle

Drill Pipe
VA = Annulus velocity of the drilling fluid in the Annulus controlled by pump
VA rate
Solid
particle Net rise velocity = VA- Vs
suspended Vs • If positive : upward movement
in the mud
• If negative : downward movement

To prevent settlement when low or no circulation the slips velocity

must to be controlled by controlling the viscosity and gel strength.

Annulus
Viscosity
Slip Velocity

Slip velocity of a solid particle is influenced by:

- Density of solid particle
- Size and shape of the solid particle
- Density of the drilling fluid à Buoyancy
- Viscosity of the drilling fluid

By controlling the viscosity of the drilling Fluid, the slip velocity can be controlled.

During circulation: the slip velocity (Vs) should be less than the annular velocity (VA)
so that the solid particle is moving upward.
When no circulation (VA=0), the slip velocity (Vs) should be close to zero (Vs≈ 0)
Viscosity
$%
Viscosity µ =
&'
&
Moveable Plate Shear rate 𝜏=
%
$
Shear stress 𝛾=
'

Where:
F = Force (N)
V = velocity (m/s)
A = Area (m2)
L = distance (m)
𝜇 = Viscosity (Pa.s)
𝛾 = Shear stress (N/m2)
𝜏 = Shear rate (1/s)
Fix Plate
 Viscosity
Viscosity (resistance to flow) is a relationship between shear stress and shear
rate. This relation defines the flow behaviour. If the relation is linear, the fluid is
called a Newtonian Fluid (e.g. Water).
Higher viscosity
Viscosity is defined by the slope on the
shear stress - shear rate curve:
!"
Shear stress t (lb / 100 ft2)

𝜇=
!#
Where:
Dt 𝜇 = Viscosity (cP)
𝜏 = Shear stress (lb / 100 ft2)
Dg g = Shear rate (s-1)

Lower viscosity

Shear rate g (1/s)

 Drilling Fluid - Viscoosity
In a Newtonian Fluid the shear stress – shear curve is linear. Viscosity is constant.
The slope will change with changing temperature, but ill remain linear.

In a Non Newtonian Fluid the shear stress –

Shear stress t (lb/100 ft2)

shear rate curve is NOT linear.

• The viscosities varies with the shear rate.
Pseudo Plastic Fluid
Newtonian Fluid
• This variation is in most of the case in form
of a curve at lower shear rate and a linear
line at higher shear rate.
• Dilatent fluid (Shear thickening): Viscosity
increase with increasing shear rate.
Dilatent Fluid
• Pseudo-Plastic (Shear thinning ): Viscosity
Shear rate g (1/s) decrease with increasing shear rate.
 Viscosity
• Newtonian fluid: Viscosity remain
Viscosity vs. shear rate constant. It is independent from the
shear rate.
Dilatent Fluid
• Dilatent fluid (Shear thickening):
Viscosity increase with increasing
shear rate.
Pseudo-Plastic
Viscosity (cP)

Fluid
• Pseudo-Plastic (Shear thinning ):
Viscosity decrease with increasing
Newtonian Fluid
shear rate.
Drilling fluid is non Newtonian, and
shall have the properties of a Pseudo-
Shear rate g (1/s)
Plastic fluid.
 Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Yield Point

Some fluids requires an initial stress

Shear stress t (lb /100 ft2)

to start flowing. This required stress

is the Yield Point or YP. Units is
lb/100 ft2.

Yield Point (YP) is the carrying

capacity of the fluid when the
YP (Yield point) fluid is in circulation.

Shear rate g (1/s)

Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Viscometer

Viscometers are used to

measure the viscosity .
Direct reading
Viscometers (VG
Viscometers) allows the
reading to be used
directly to calculate the
Bingham Plastic
rheological parameters
(PV and YP).
HT and HPHT versions
also available.
Two speed : 300 and 600 rpm
Six speed: 600, 300, 200, 100, 6 and 3 rpm
https://www.fann.com/
Flow models
Flow models are Mathematical formulas allow us to calculate the shear stress at
any shear rate we wish.

Bingham Plastic Model To describe the flow behaviour of a

Shear stress t (lb / 100 ft2)

drilling fluid in the oil and gas industry 3

models are commonly used:
• Bingham-Plastic
Herschel-Bulkley Model
• Power Law
Power Law Model
• Herschel-Bulkley
Newtonian fluid

Shear rate g (1/s)

Flow Models
Bingham Plastic
PV = 𝜃600 - 𝜃300
YP = PV - 𝜃300

Where:
𝜏 = Shear stress (lb/ft-2)
Shear stress t (lb / 100 ft2)

g = Shear rate (1/s)

YP = Yield point (lb/ft-2)
PV = Plastic viscosity (cP)
𝜃600 = Viscometer reading at 600 RPM
𝜃300 = Viscometer reading at 300 RPM

The model considers linear relation between shear

YP t = YP + PV " 𝜸 rate and shear stress above the yield point. The
slope of the linear line is given by PV.

Shear rate 𝛾 (1/s)

Flow models
Flow Models – Comparison

Bingham plastic model :

• Considers a Yield point

• Constant viscosity at all share rates
• Does not consider a curve at lower shear rate à May overestimate the Yield Point
value
Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Limitation of the Bingham Plastic Flow Model
Since the Bingham Plastic model may overestimates the YP, for annulus hole cleaning
calculation it is possible to also calculate the Low sear rate yield point (LSR YP).

LSR YP = (2 x 𝜃3) − 𝜃6

Where
• LSR YP = Low shear rate yield point (lb/100ft2)
• 𝜃3 = Viscometer reading at 3 RPM
• 𝜃6 = Viscometer reading at 3 RPM
Flow models
Flow Models – Power Law Flow Model
!600
n= 3.32 log ( )
!300
n<1
!300
K=
n=1 "##!"
Shear stress t (lb / 100 ft2)

Where:
n= Power Law index
g n K = Consistency index
a sin τ = Shear stress (lb/ft-2)
c re g = Shear rate (1/s)
De
θ600 = Viscometer reading at 600 RPM
t=K 𝜸 𝐧 θ300 = Viscometer reading at 300 RPM

Shear rate 𝛾 (1/s)

Flow models
Power Law
• Considers higher viscosity at lower share rate (in the annulus), lower viscosity
at higher share rate
• Does not have a yield point
• For annulus, n and K may be evaluated as follow:
!100
na= 0,657 log ( )
!3

!'00
Ka= #$%.'!#
Flow models τ0= 2𝜃3 - 𝜃6 LSR YP (lower shear stress Yield
point)

Herschel Bulkley Model

n<1 n=1
!600− "0
n= 3.32 log ( )
!300$"0
Shear stress t (lb / 100 ft2)

(!300−)0)
K=
"##!"
p

g n
a sin
re
D ec Where:
n= Flow index in the annulus
K = Consistency index in the annulus
τ0 = Lower Shear Rate Yield point ((lb/ft-2)
θ600 = Viscometer reading at 600 RPM
τ0 t = t0 + K 𝜸 𝐧 θ300 = Viscometer reading at 300 RPM
θ6 = Viscometer reading at 6 RPM
θ3 = Viscometer reading at 3 RPM

Shear rate 𝛾 (1/s)

Flow models
Herschel Bulkley

• Considers a Yield Point (LSYP)

• Considers higher viscosity at lower share rate (in the annulus), lower viscosity at
higher share rate
• More representative to describe the situation in the annulus
• For annulus, n and K may be evaluated as follow:
!100
na= 0,657 log ( )
!3

!'00
Ka= #$%.'!#
Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Gel strength

• Gel strength is the ability of the drilling fluid to develop gel structure and retain it
when fluid is not in circulation.
• In static condition, charged parts of the drilling fluid will move to seek its
counterpart and linking up with each other in a negative-positive manner to
form a gel structure.
• Formation of the Gel strength is time dependent.
• Measurement: String the mud at 600 rpm to break any gel. Viscometer reading
at 3RPM after the drilling fluid was in a static condition for 10 seconds. The
second reading and the third reading will be 10 minutes and 30 minutes,
respectively.
Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Gel strength

• The 30 minute-reading will indicate whether whether the drilling fluid will
significantly form the gel during extensive static periods like tripping.
• Gel strength is the carrying capacity when the drilling fluid is not in motion (no
circulation / pumps off).
• High gel strength will create a high pump pressure in order to break circulation
after the drilling fluid was static for a long time.
• Low gel strength will cause cutting and barite to settle when drilling fluid is not
circulated.
• Units: lb/100 ft2
 Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity
Gel strength
undesirable
Gel strength(lb /100 ft2)

desirable

undesirable

Time (minutes)
Drilling Fluid Requirements - Carrying capacity

YP : Carrying capacity when the fluid is moving (dynamic)

Gel strength: Carrying capacity when the fluid is not moving (static)

PV: Indicator of the solid content

Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Formation (rock) – Grain and Pores

• A formation (rock) in the underground consist

of grains/crystals and pores or crack space
Pores or crack between it. The pores are usually filled with
space, filled formation fluid.
with formation
fluid
• The volume of the void determine the
porosity
• The connectivity between the voids
determine its permeability
Grain
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake formation – Step 1 : Drilling fluid enters the formation / rock
Bore hole wall

Bore hole filled Formation / rock

with drilling fluid
The drilling fluid from the bore
hole will flow into the surrounding
Pores or crack rock / formation due to the higher
space, filled hydrostatic pressure inside the
with drilling
fluid bore hole.
VA

Grain
P hyd bore hole > P formation fluid
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake formation – Step 2: Bridge creation

The solid particle will create a bridge

in the pore, preventing other particles
to move further into the formation.

Bridge NOTE: the fluid phase will still move

into the formation. Only the solid
phase will be hold back

Solid particle suspended

in the drilling fluid
Bore hole wall Fluid move direction
Bore hole Formation / rock
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake formation – Step 2: Formation of filter cake
• The solid particle behind the bridge will settle
and create a filter cake.
• If the movement of the fluid phase is not
stopped or minimized, the filter cake will
continue to grow inside the borehole wall
Bridge resulting in a thick filter cake inside the bore
hole.
• The filter cake must thus have a low
permeability to stop the fluid movement
(
Internal External Filter cake • Desired is a thin internal filter cake (≈ )* 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ)
Bore hole wall
Bore hole Formation / rock Fluid move direction
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake formation – Step 2: Formation of filter cake. Thick and thin internal filter
cake
Surrounding
rock

External filter
cake
Bore hole wall

Internal filter
cake

Borehole –
Drill string
Annulus
Thin filter cake Drill string Thick filter cake
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake

Controlling the filter cake permeability • Bentonite is a excellent filter

cake builder due to its capacity
to swell and fill the pores and
due to its low permeability
• If bentonite can not be used,
use solid particle with different
sizes. The smaller grains will fill
Void
the pore of the bigger grains
and thus decreasing the
permeability
• By knowing the rock pore or
crack space size, to achieve a
certain permeability the
Low permeability .Void necessary grain sizes can be
Higher permeability . filled with solids with evaluated using the Particle Size
smaller size distribution (PSD)
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
• The drilling fluid in the bore hole will flow into the surrounding rock due to the higher
hydrostatic pressure inside the bore hole
• The solid particle will settle in the pores of the surrounding rock near the borehole
wall and create a filter cake
• If the created filter cake has a high permeability, the drilling fluid will continue to
enter the formation, and the filter cake will continue to grow inside the wellbore,
decreasing the borehole diameter.
• It is necessary to create a filter cake with low permeability to minimize the fluid loss
into the formation and thus prevent the creation of a thick filter cake.
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Formation Damage
• The low permeability of the filter cake will
prevent the formation fluid to enter the bore hole
Well after the drilling operation has been completed.
à FORMATION DAMAGE
• The filter cake needs to be removed before
production can started by fracking or acidizing.
• During drilling operation in the reservoir, only
solid which later on can be removed by acid
Reservoir should be used as part of the drilling fluid (e.g.
Calcium carbonate). Barite or bentonite must not
be used.
• Use drilling fluid high base fluid density so the
amount of solid (weighting material) can be
minimum.
External Filter cake (Low permeability)
 Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake and differential sticking • Differential sticking usually
happened when depleted
Borehole Surrounding rock Filter cake formations are drilled with
Formation A, Borehole Surrounding rock high mud weight
Formation pressure
NOT depleted
• The high differential
pressure between the
inside of the borehole and
Formation B,
depleted Formation Phyd P Formation fluid the formation fluid ill cause
pressure the drill string to be
Depleted
pushed to the borehole
Formation C,
Formation pressure formation wall and sucked by the
NOT depleted
formation causing stuck
Drill string pipe.
Drill string Filter cake Phyd much higher than Pformation fluid
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake and differential sticking. Effect of filter cake thickness

External filter
cake
Contact area
Internal filter
cake

Drill string –
filter cake
contact area

Thin filter cake. Small

Drill string Thick filter cake. Large contact area
contact area between drill
between filter cake and drill string
string and filter cake
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake and differential sticking. Effect of filter cake thickness

External filter
cake
Contact area
Internal filter
cake

Thin filter cake. Small contact area

between drill string and filter cake. Mostly
the whole drills tring is exposed to
hydrostatic pressure. Net pressure pushing
the pipe to the wall is small
Drill string Thick filter cake. Large contact area between filter
cake and drill string. . Big part of the drill string is NOT
exposed to hydrostatic pressure. Net pressure
pushing the pipe to the wall is high
 Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake and differential sticking - summary
• The thicker the filter cake, the larger will be the contact area between the borehole
wall and the drill string. The forces acting on the drill string will thus also be high and
the risk of differential sticking increases. A thin filter cake on the other hand will
reduce the risk of differential sticking.
• The conventional filter cake is usually good for a pressure differential up to 500 - 1000
psi differential pressure.
• If higher differential pressures are expected, special systems are available to create a
filter cake that more or less completely isolate the bore hole from the surrounding
rock. (e.g. Max bridge from Baker Hughes or Hydroguard from Haliburton). This
systems has been successfully applied on wells where the overbalance was higher
than 1500 psi.
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Filter cake
Filter cake / water loss measurement
API filter press:
• Amount of water loss
(filtrate). This is the amount
of water which will penetrate
the filter cake (ml/30 min)
• After the test, thickness of
filter cake can be measured
(units: inch).

Filter cake For HPHT wells, HPHT filter

press to be used.

API filter press

(http://www.ofite.com)
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Other parameters

Marsch funnel or Funnel viscosity

(FV).
• Gives the time a defined volume
of drilling fluid to flow through a
Marsh funnel. This is not a true
viscosity, but serves as a
qualitative measure of how thick
the mud sample is. The funnel
viscosity is useful only for
relative comparisons.
https://www.fann.com/
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Other parameters
pH
• Gives the amount of Hydrogen ions in the system and refers to the levels of acid or
alkaline found in a liquid.
• Drilling fluid additives were developed to be mixed with water with a pH level from
8.5 to 10 in order for the required chemical reaction to occur and to provide a proper
yield.
• High pH values also prevents corrosion

Alkalinity
• Alkalinity measurements are used to determine the buffering capacity of a drilling
fluid (capacity to neutralize acidic components)

MBT
• Gives the amount of clay in the drilling fluid
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Other parameters
Retort Solids
• Represents the total solids in the mud as read directly from the retort tube and
includes soluble solids (salt).

Corrected Solids
• Represents the total solids in the mud MINUS the soluble solids (salt)

Low Gravity Solids (LGS)

• Represents the corrected solids in the mud MINUS high gravity weight material. This
value also includes low density weight material added such as calcium carbonate
(CaCO3).

Drill Solids
• Represents the total solids in the mud MINUS soluble salt and any weight material
Drilling Fluid Requirements – Other parameters
Chloride
• Is an indicator about the salinity of the drilling fluid

Water Hardness
• The hardness is primarily to the presence of calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions.
The harder the water, the more difficult for many chemicals to function, particularly
bentonite. Also, hardness decreases efficiency of most polymers.

Cation exchange capacity

• Quantity of cations that a material (clay or similar) can accommodate on its negative
charged surface.
Swelling Clay

• Clay is a sheet mineral, containing layers of Aluminium and Silicon Oxide

• There are 4 groups of clay minerals:
• Kaolin.
• Illite.
• Smectite.
• Chlorite.
• Only Smectite will swell if got in contact with water.
 Swelling Clay - Structure
Clay mineral sheet

Si4+
Tetrahedral (Silicon Si4+ Oxide)
Al3+
Octahedral (Aluminium Al3+ Oxide)) Mg2+
+ Positively charged
Tetrahedral (Silicon Si4+ Oxide) cations, e.g. K+,
Ca2+, Na+
+ + + + +
Clay mineral sheet

“Perfect ” smectite mineral.
“Not so perfect ” smectite mineral. Some of the Si4+ has been replaced by
Al3+, and some of the Al3+ has been replaced by Mg2+ causing the sheet to
have a negative charge. To balance the charge, cations like Ca2+, K+, Na+
are absorbed between the clay mineral sheets. This cations are
exchangeable
Swelling Clays - Reason Si4+
Al3+
Mg2+
Clay mineral sheet

+ Positively charged
Cations, e.g. K+,
Ca2+, Na+
H2O
+ + + + + A

B + + + A: distance between
mineral sheets
Clay mineral sheet

before swelling

B: distance between
mineral sheets after
swelling

No contact with water

Contact with water. Cations will absorb the water which cause an
increase in the volume. This will push the clay mineral sheets away
from each other (swelling)
Drilling fluid type and composition
There are 2 drilling fluid types commonly used in the oil and Gas industry:
- Oil Based Mud (OBM)
- Water Based Mud (WBM)
OBM WBM
Good lubricity My need Lubricant additives
Stable at high temperature Not stable at high temperature
Do not cause smectite clays to swell Will cause smectite clays to swell. Inhibition will be
necessary
Environmental issue if lost circulation. Cutting Environmentally more acceptable.
needs special treatment before disposal.
Gas is soluble in oil. Difficult to detect gas influx at Gas is not soluble in water. Gas influx can be
early stage detected at early stage.
Drilling fluid type and composition – WBM
WBM Major components

Base fluid Weighting agent Viscosity control Fluid loss Others

• Fresh water • Barite (4,48 • Bentonite • Bentonite • pH control
• Salt water g/cm3) • Xanthan Gum • Calcium • Surfactant
• Brine • Calcium • Polymers carbonate • Lubricant
Carbonate • Thinner • PAC • Shale inhibitor
(2,71 g/cm3) • Starch • Others
• Hematite • Lignite
Salts (5,15 g/cm3)
• CaCl2 • Salts
• NaCl • others
• KCl
• Formate
Drilling fluid type and composition – OBM
OBM Major components

Base fluid Weighting agent Viscosity control Fluid loss Others

• Diesel • Barite (4,48 • Organophilic clay • Organo • Emulsifier
• Mineral Oil g/cm3) • Polymers phyletic • Alkalinity
• Synthetic oil • Calcium • Thinner lignite • Emulsifiers
• Crude oil Carbonate • Asphalt • Others
(2,71 g/cm3) • Gilsonite
• Hematite • Polymers
(5,15 g/cm3)
• Brine
• others
Drilling fluid type and composition
Weighting agent.
• By dissolving salt into the base fluid, the density of the of the base fluid phase can
be increased. The amount of solid (Barite or calcium carbonate) which needs to
be added to achieve the target density can thus be reduced.
• Due to its high density Barite is the most common weighting agent.
• If drilling in reservoir, calcium carbonate instead of barite shall be used.
Drilling fluid type and composition
Salts dissolved in Water
Salt Achievable fluid
density (ppg)
Water + KCl ± 9,7
Water + NaCl ± 10,0
Water + CaCl2 ± 11,6

Base mud + CaCO3 Achievable fluid

density (ppg)
Water+ KCl + CaCO3 ± 11,3
Water+ NaCl +CaCO3 ± 11,3
Water + CaCl2 + CaCO3 ± 12,7
Water + Sodium Formate + CaCO3 ± 12,0
Water + Sodium/Potasium Formate + ± 14,1
CaCO3
Drilling fluid design process
Base of design
• Formation pressures, formation fluid
type (e.g. oil, gas, H2S, CO2)
Design on paper and simulation (hole • Well design
cleaning, hydraulic, etc) • Base fluid
• Temperature
• Geological information (rock type,
permeability, etc)
Lab tests • Logging/coring program
• Expected issues based on offset well
data.
Drilling fluid program, incl. contingency • Rig equipment & capability
plan, parameter range, mud • BHA
composition • Others