Drilling Fluids:

the lifeblood of your well

Nadila Putri Perdani

© 2024 Halliburton. All rights reserved.

What is Drilling Fluids?
Mud represents 5 - 15 % of drilling costs but can
cause 100% of drilling problems

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Drilling Fluids – Function
When drilling a hole:
• Rock pressure needs to be compensated to
maintain wellbore stability.
• Cutting needs to be removed from the bore
hole to be able to drill deeper. If not removed,
the drill string will get stuck.
• Formation fluids should NOT enter the
borehole during the drilling process.

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Drilling Fluids – Function

Drilling fluids function :

• Compensate the rock pressure (well control).
• Cutting removal (hole cleaning) & suspension.
• Prevent the formation fluid to enter the well bore.
• Isolate the bore hole from surrounding rock to
avoid fluid loss (filtrate).
• If present, control of sensitive formations (e.g.
swelling clays).
• Cooling (Bit/BHA).
• Transmit hydraulic energy to down hole tools.
• Prevent string corrosion.
• Provide a medium for wire logs, etc.
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Drilling Fluids – Requirement
Mixtures of fluids and solids (as solid
suspension, mixtures and emulsions of
liquids, gases and solids).

To full fill its function Drilling Fluid shall meet

the following main requirements:
• Adjustable weight / density to reach the
desired hydrostatic pressure.
• Must be pumpable.
• Have a carrying capacity.
• Able to create just enough filter cake on the
bore hole wall to avoid/minimize the fluid
loss.
• The drilling solid (cutting) must be removed
from the drilling fluid though the solid
control equipment. The other solid particles
shall remain in it.
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Drilling Fluids – Requirement
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.

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Weight/Density
By adjusting the density of the drilling
fluid, the hydrostatic pressure can be
adjusted as needed.

Phyd = D x TVD x 0,052

Where,
• Phyd = Hydrostatic pressure (psi)
•D = Density (ppg)
▪ Given:
• TVD = True vertical depth (ft)
▪ Formation Pressure = 3,120 psi
▪ True Vertical Depth = 5,000 ft
▪ Min Mud Weight = ??

Hydrostatic Pressure = 0.052 * MW * TVD

Min MW = (0.052 * 5,000) / 3,120
Min MW = 12 ppg
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Drilling Fluids Properties – Weight/Density

Regular Mud Balance

Pressurized Mud Balance

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Rheology, Viscosity
Rheology is the study of fluid to flow.
Viscosity is the internal resistance of a fluid to flow
Rheology is focused on the reaction of the
deformation and flow of the matter, examines
materials that exhibit a structure change under the
influence of applied forces (stress).
Rheological models help to predict fluid
behavior across a wide range of shear
rates. The most relevant models are the:
• Bingham Plastic
• Power Law
• Herschel-Bulkley (Yield-Power Law)

Internal resistance may drive from multiple

mechanisms, including:
• Friction – Particle colliding with other particles
• Chemistry – electro-chemical interaction between
particles

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Rheology, Viscosity
Stoke’s Law

Vt
Av
To avoid settling to happen, the net force should equal
to 0 (zero); or the fluid velocity maintained higher
than the terminal velocity/slip velocity.

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Rheology

Which one do
we prefer?

Drilling fluid is non

Newtonian and shall have the
properties of a Pseudo-Plastic
fluid (shear thinning).

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Rheology
Drilling fluid is non Newtonian and shall have the
properties of a Pseudo-Plastic fluid (shear thinning).

Newtonian Fluid: the shear stress – shear curve is linear.

Viscosity remain is independent from the shear rate.

Non Newtonian Fluid: the shear stress – shear rate

curve is varies with shear rate.
• Dilatent fluid (Shear thickening): Viscosity increase
with increasing shear rate.
• Pseudo-Plastic (Shear thinning ): Viscosity decrease
with increasing shear rate.

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Carrying Capacity
Bingham Model Herschel-Bulkley’s Model

Tau0

PV is related to the size, shape

and number of the particles in a
moving fluid
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Drilling Fluids Properties – 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.
• Formation of the Gel Strength is time
dependent.
• The 30 minute-reading will indicate whether
whether the drilling fluid will significantly form
the gel during extensive static periods like
tripping.
• 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.

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Carrying Capacity
Rheometer/viscometers are used to
measure the rheology.

Viscometer allows the reading to be used

directly to calculate the Bingham Plastic
rheological parameters (PV and YP). HT and
HPHT versions also available.
PV = θ600 – θ300
YP = PV – θ300
Approximate values throughout the
circulating system
• Pits: 0 to 300 rpm
• Annulus: 6 to 300 rpm
• Drill String: 300 to more than 600 rpm
• Bit jet nozzles: 100,000 to 500,000
(equivalent) rpm
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Drilling Fluids Properties – Viscosity
The Marsh Funnel is a simple device for indicating viscosity on a routine basis. When used with a
measuring cup, the funnel gives an empirical value for the consistency of a fluid

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Filtration
Process of filtering a fluid through a low
permeability barrier leaving solids deposited
in a filter cake.

Types of Measurement
• API low pressure and low temperature
• 100 psi and ambient temperature
• API high pressure and hi temperature
• Up to 500 psi and 300°F

High Filtrate Volumes

• Dehydration of drilling fluid on trips
• Thick soft filter cake
• Torque, drag and stuck pipe
• Differential sticking
• Formation Damage
• Borehole instability
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 Drilling Fluids Properties – Filtration

Formation / Rock
Drilling fluid enters
Grain, Pores, and Bridge creation
the formation
Fluids

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Filtration

Formation of
filter cake

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Filtration

Formation of
filter cake

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Solid Analysis
• Commercial Solids
• Provide density
• Viscosity
• Lubrication
• Filtration

• Formation Solids
• Difficulty in controlling Solid
rheological properties
• Erosion and abrasion of the
Oil
circulating system and
drilling tools
• High filtrate losses Water
• Thick, sticky wall cakes

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Drilling Fluids Properties – Other Parameters
pH Chloride
• Drilling fluid additives were developed to • Balance osmotic effect between the mud and
be mixed with water with a pH level from formation fluids
8.5 to 12 in order for the required chemical
reaction to occur and to provide a proper Water Hardness
yield. • The hardness is primarily to the presence of
• High pH values also prevents corrosion calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions.
Hardness decreases efficiency of most
Alkalinity polymers.
• 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

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Drilling Fluids Design

Challenges Solution Execution

▪ Understand and documented: ▪ Collect the correct data

oWell objectives ▪ Data Analyse and Evaluate
oGoals ▪ Fluid Selection and Validation
oKey risks ▪ Assess Risk
▪ Gathering key well data • Mitigate risk and plan
▪ Gathering reservoir data contingencies
• Test where necessary
▪ Build Design of Service (DOS)

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Drilling Fluids Design
NAF Water Based Mud
▪ Water Based
Good lubricity My need Lubricant additives
• Fresh Water
• Sea Water Stable at high temperature Not stable at high temperature
Do not cause smectite clays Will cause smectite clays to
▪ NAF (Non-Aqueous Fluid)
to swell swell. Inhibition will be
• Diesel necessary
• Mineral Oil Environmental issue if lost Environmentally more
• Ester circulation. acceptable.
Cutting needs special
▪ Gases treatment before disposal.
• Air
Gas is soluble in oil. Difficult Gas is not soluble in water.
• N2 to detect gas influx at Gas influx can be detected at
• Foam early stage early stage.

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Drilling Fluids Design – WBM

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Drilling Fluids Design – NAF/SOBM

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Drilling Fluids Design – Blind Drilling

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Drilling Fluids Design – Blind Drilling

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Drilling Fluids Design – Blind Drilling

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 THANK YOU
- Nadila Putri Perdani

© 2024 Halliburton. All rights reserved.