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Bore hole cleaning :-

As hole inclinations increases, axial particle slip shifts to radial

particle step, causing cuttings to fell to the lower side of the well
bore. Cuttings transport becomes more difficult and often results in
the formation of a cutting bed. In general :-

• Fluid velocity is a key parameter in cuttings transport. If an hole

cleaning problem exists, cuttings transport may be increased by
increasing flow rate. Fluid velocity of 3. 8 Ft/sec will not allow
cuttings bed formation.
• In laminar flow, higher YP/PV ratio improves cuttings transport.
When in turbulent flow, mud rheology has little effect on cuttings
transport for all ranges of inclination.
• Pipe eccentricity makes cutting transport more difficult as fluid
velocity is reduced in the more narrow portions of the annulus.
• When annular flow is laminar, turbulent sweeps followed by thick
sweeps may help the hole cleaning by first stirring the cuttings, then
sweeping them out of the hole.
• Hydraulics cleaning may be supplemented by mechanical means
of wiper trips and drill string rotation to disturb the cuttings bed and
encourage transport.
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Lubricity :-

•In a highly deviated well, there is a considerable frictional

resistance to movement.
•This resistance can be large enough to be the limiting factors in ERD
and horizontal drilling.
•The increased drag and torque problem can be reduced to
acceptable level by using a drilling fluid with good lubricating
qualities such as oil base muds, polymer muds, glycol based muds,
etc.
•There are large number of additives which can be added to the
system to provide lubricity.
•The drilling fluid system should have a lubricity co-efficient(< 0.10)
to provide desirable lubricity for reducing drag and torque.
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Inhibition and well bore stability :-

• Both mechanical and chemical factors can play an a part in

well bore stabilization.
• Pressure required to contain the formation intact can be
greater in deviated / horizontal well bores than in vertical
wells.
• In case of a chemical destabilization, the tight hole or hole
collapse is also a matter of concern
• The hydratable swelling type of shale fractures should be
prevented from hydration by imparting good inhibition.
• To make a system inhibitive :-
1. Add an electrolyte like sodium chloride, potassium chloride,
calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, lime, etc.
2. Add an additive which retards hydration swelling and
dispersion by process of encapsulation plugging and sealing
microfracture by reducing filtrate invasion between bedding
planes.
3. Using oil base/ synthetic base mud, a perfect shale inhibition
is possible.
4. Oil base restrictions by environmental efforts should be
made to improve WBM.
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Fluid Design :-

Before taking a decision for the mud design, the following

points should be clear :-
• For favorable turbulence in horizontal sections, formation
integrity should be known.
• The suspension characteristics of the fluids.
• If above points are okay, then we can proceed for turbulency
while drilling, otherwise laminar flow may be preferred.
• Fluid should be non damaging.

Case 01 :
•An oil base fluid was formulated for a horizontal drilling
application in in Zaire, Africa.
• The fluid was designed to provide good static suspension
permanence.
• The fluid design was aimed at providing elevated rheology at
low shear rate and high initial gel with control progress on gel
building characteristics.
• A laminar flow regime was targeted and good hole cleaning was
achieved.
• Oil being added for dilution purposes and pumped with the well
bore in pills with the intention of using the turbulent flow to secure
settled solids off the floor of well bore thereby directing them in to
the high velocity fluid flow regine.
• The approach for using oil base was to get lubricity and
inhibition against swelling while perusing laminar flow.
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• The drilling was smooth and the well was completed in 12 ¼” hole
and 8 ¼” in lateral section.

Case 02 :
• Salt polymer technology system was used to control formation
damage in an unconsolidated hydrocarbon bearing formation and to
provide primary bridging in pore spaces.
• A polymer blend was used to provide filtration control along with
required rheology and suspension.
• Xanthan gum provides the basis of control, over the better
function.
• Rheological design was to provide hole cleanup under laminar
flow condition, high rheology at low shear rate and initial gets
efficient filter cake removal is recognized as being critical for
successful completion.
• Approximately 1500 feet lateral section was drilled in gauge.
• No problems were experienced with the torque, drag or solid
deposition.

Case 03 :
•The objective has been effective hole cleaning and suspension along
with protection for producer formation.
• The system of mud used was MMH technology which is unique
electrostatic mechanism.
• The fluid has exceptional carrying capacity which provides virtual
instantaneous and wide finite suspension, when motion ceases.
•The bridging function and density is provided by sized ground
marble which is acid soluble.
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• The filtration is mainly provided by polymer additives.
• The lateral section of approximately 950 ft was drilled and well
bore was gauge.
• Annular velocity was 60 – 80 fpm.
• Therefore any fluid with non damaging characteristics and other
mud properties can be used for drilling horizontal hole.
• Factors required when drilling a vertical hole are more critical
when a horizontal portion is drilled.
• Hole cleaning, suspension, lubricity formation stabilization, rig
capability and producer protection must all be addressed as a matter
of primary concern.
• Intimate knowledge of formation types and characteristics is
required for fluid design to be undertaken.
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Ultra low solids : Drilling fluids

• For drilling horizontal hole through reservoir rock, ultra low

solids are used.
• They can replace low solid – no dispersed muds and are
intended to replace the need for using oil muds in
environmentally sensitive area.
• Additives used are :-
1. DWC – Abingham plug two viscofier suitable for fresh or sea
water, perfect for extended reach or horizontal wells with
excellent suspension qualities.
2. FLC – A hole stabilizing filtrate loss control agent.
3. KFA – A mud antifoamer and hole conditioner that allows
PDC bit to be used with ULS water base muds.
4. LCP – A dilatant lost circulation pill material that shear
stiffness and plugs within loss zones.
• The use of these ultra low solid mud additives has cut the
drilling days by 73 % due to 100 % reduction in trouble times.
• Six ppb of each product in an LC50 of over 100000.
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Special properties needed for horizontal drilling are by ULS

system.

• Low solid mud system simplifies horizontal drilling, as mud

properties are tailored to clean the hole, seal it while drilling
and release the seal during completion procedure.
• These EDTI products have acid solubilities, ability to regain
permeability and biodegradability test.
• These products replace the need for using oil muds in offshore.
• The first two products DWC, FLE can be used at normal
concentrations of 4 -5 ppb plus caustic or lime for pH between
10 – 11 with MBT 5 – 11 and any weighing material that can be
required plus 1 ppb KFA are all that is usually necessary to
maintain it.
• Exceptional hole cleaning for horizontal hole is obtained by
using 6 ppb of DWC viscosifier in fresh or sea water.
• Its plug flow velocity profile in the horizontal annulus results
in the hole being cleared of cuttings and exceptional wall
stabilization.
• For drilling long section of shales 3 to 4 ppb of FLC replaces the
need for six chemicals PAC, SPA, PHPA, flocculants,
asphaltives, Gilsonite.
• KFA is recommended as a ULS mud antifoamer, hole
conditioner and PDC bit cutter lubricant. Unlike typical muds
ULS muds are run with a pH between 10 – 11 for less corrosion.
• LCP, a dilatent lost circulation pill material has sealed 80000
milli dareys loss zones.
• 40 -50 ppb pill can be pumped through bit nozzles
• LCP at 12 ppb can be used for hole sweep.
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• Ultra low solid mud system ingredients and maintenance :-

DWC 4 – 7 ppb Initial mud make up and mud

YP maintenance, 2 – 3 times of
PV, low gel
Bio – V2J 0.25 – 0.75 Alternative viscosifier
PLC 2 – 5 ppb in mud F/L control & bore hole
5 – 8 ppb in pill stabilizer. Each 1 ppb increases
fracture gradient 1000 psi –
5000 psi
Anti Foam A 1 – 3 quats / 3 Anti foamer
LCP 6 – 12 ppb for sweep
30 – 48 ppb for LCP pill
for seepage
3 – 5 ppb

PAC UL 0.5 – 1.0 ppb For then filter cake

X-Cide 207 1 – 2 Cans / 300 bbl Microbiocide for polymer mud
KFA 1 ppb Mud conditioner
Bore plate A sack / 30 bbl for pill Spot pill over problem
(Gilsonite)
Rheomate 0.2 – 0.75 ppb Polymer mud thinner
Gel 5 – 10 ppb
KOH 1 – 1.5 ppb Min 10.5 pH
Lime 1 sack/ 1000bbl If pH drops
KCl 10 ppb
Barite As per need
Na(CO)3 Prior to drilling cement
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Formation clay hydration or migration

• Sandstone formation varies from clean to very dirty (containing

significant quantities of clay).
• These interstitial clays can hydrate, deform and migrate causing the
formation damage when exposed to drilling fluid filtrate, cement or
other fluid filtrates.
• A variety of fluid can prevent swelling as oil and synthetic fluids.

Emulsion blocking :-

• An emulsion of drilling in fluid filtrate and formation fluid may

occur causing formation damage.
• In water base fluids, filtrate compatibility can be tested and adjusted
with alternative formulations.

Fluid types and applications :-

• Clear fluids with viscous sweeps clear water or brine drill in fluids
can be used for mechanically competent formations.
• These non viscosified fluids are often used in fractured limestone
and dolomite.
• These fluids require turbulent flow.
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HEC Fluids :-

• Hydroxy ethyl cellulose base fluids can be used under

conditions of competent formations.
• HEC provides carrying capacity but has minimal gel structure
and poor suspension characteristics.
• The suspension characteristics can be enhanced by adding
Xanthan gum.
• HEC provides only limited filtration control. Further F/L
control can be activated with starch base additives.

FLO – PRO :-

• These systems are designed for trouble free drilling of

producing formations with minimal solids.
• The system has particular applications in horizontal wells.
• Flo – pro system uses polymers for rheology and filtration
control.
• The system has ultra high low shear rate viscosity compared to
typical clay base fluids.
• It provides excellent cutting suspension in high angle and
horizontal well bore and reduces hole erosion.
• Flo – pro systems are formulated from lime of appropriate
density using only enough acid soluble sized calcium carbonate.
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Additives :-

1. Flo Vis –
• A premium grade Xanthan gum
• Primary viscosifier
2. Flow trol –
• A starch derivative
• Primary F/L control agent
3. Safe carb –
• A sized CaCO3
• Used as a bridging agent
• More than 98% soluble in 15% HCl

• Standard Flow – pro formulation can be tailored for specific

reservoir
• Viscous brime can be used to provide a density ranging from
8.4 – 14.7 lb/gal
• Effective bridging has sealed acidified limestone reservoirs and
sand to
• All the above products used in flow pro systems are soluble in
acids, oxidizers or water
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Sized salt system :-

• Sized salt (NaCl) systems are used to drill unconsolidated sand

reservoirs.
• These systems are based on saturated salt brine with Xanthan
gum for viscosity.
• A combination of starch and salt for F/L control.
• The elevated starch provides excellent F/L control.
• To maintain bridging, the system must be saturated with salt.
• These systems have narrow density range4 from 10 – 12 ppg.
• These systems can be used with any type of completion assembly.
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Oil base systems :-

• An important application of oil base systems is that it varies in

dirty sand.
• If such sands are drilled with water base systems, they develop a
water block or get damaged by clay swelling.
• Oil base fluids also provide significantly better shale stability for
production intervals where shale sections are interbedded with
producing formations.
• Oil base fluids have thin filter cakes
• Excellent inhibition and good lubricity
• The qualities satisfy the problematic horizontal wells.
• The oil water ratio can vary from 100/0 to 50/50.
• A clean completion fluid displacement is critical to effective
removal of filter cake.
• Surfactants and mutual solvents are required to reverse the
wettability of the filter cake so that it can be dissolved in acid.
• Synthetic drill in fluids provide advantages similar to those
formulated by oil base fluids as above.
• The synthetic fluid find application in environmentally sensitive
areas.
• The filtrate from synthetic fluid generally does not disturb
interstitial clays.