FLUID

DISPLACEMENTS

Fluid Displacement
 What is Fluid Displacement?

• Fluid displacement is the process of

changing fluids in a well by substituting the
fluid in place with a different fluid.

• Specially designed spacers are formulated to

provide separation of the two fluids whether
the displacement is mud to mud, brine to
mud, or mud to brine.

Fluid Displacement
 DISPLACEMENT SCENARIOS
• WBM to OBM/SYNTHETICS
• OBM/SYNTHETICS to WBM
• WBM/OBM to BRINE
• WBM to WBM
• OBM/SYNTHETICS to OBM/SYNTHETICS

Fluid Displacement
 ADDITIONAL
CIRCUMSTANCES
• DIRECT vs INDIRECT
Direct Displacement: fluid is displaced
directly with a displacement fluid.
Indirect Displacement: uses large amounts
of water to flush out the wellbore before
circulating the displacement fluid around.
• LIGHT FLUIDS to HEAVY FLUIDS
– CONVENTIONAL
• HEAVY FLUIDS to LIGHT FLUIDS
– REVERSE CIRCULATE

Fluid Displacement
 OBJECTIVES OF
DISPLACEMENT

• Minimize the interface between fluids

• Minimize the cost of fluid waste

Design displacement to:

– create a sharp interface
– reduce channeling
– completely remove fluid being displaced

Fluid Displacement
 BASIC
TECHNIQUES/PREPARATIONS

• Adjust properties of the fluid to be displaced

– reduce YP to lowest practicable point
– mix a “spacer” to separate fluids
– spacer to be compatible with both fluids
• Clean all surface lines, tanks, manifolds
• Secure potential contaminants
– water/base fluid

Fluid Displacement
 BASIC
TECHNIQUES/PREPARATIONS
• Displace either conventional or reverse
• Do not stop after start to pump
• Rotate and reciprocate drill pipe
– maintain centralized pipe
• Monitor returns both visual and counters
• Check mud ASAP after breakthrough
• Pump as fast as possible
– at least at drilling SPM

Fluid Displacement
 BASIC TECHNIQUES/PREPARATIONS
MUD TO BRINE

• Cleanliness - use detergents/solvents

• BARAKLEAN NS @ 2%
• Valves & Seals $ Gates
– no barite, bentonite, polymers

Fluid Displacement
 DISPLACEMENT (BRINE)

• Indirect method - mud to water to brine

– Casing collapse/burst pressure
• Direct method - mud to brine
– not a clean displacement method
– filtration necessary
• cost
• General guidelines apply
– do not stop, rotate, reciprocate

Fluid Displacement
 DEVIATED/HORIZONTAL CONCERNS

• Use plug flow with a weighted push pill

through the deviated sections

• Detergent & flocculant pills pump as fast

as possible to help scour

Fluid Displacement
 PILL SEQUENCING
• Objective - 500 ft and minimum 3 mins
• Sequence of pills:
– weighted push pill - push mud out
– caustic pill - remove from casing walls
– solvent/detergent pill - water wet tubulars
– flocculant pill - flocc solids and clean csg
– water/brine - displacing fluid
• Do not recycle seawater or brine
– filtration, repeat solvent pill

Fluid Displacement
 INVERT EMULSION MUDS

• Prior to take on board

– cleanliness, flush hoses etc.
• Reduce YP of WBM
• Use 30/50 bbl of high YP spacer
– GELTONE to get 50+ YP
• Sequence
– WBM/spacer/INVERT MUD
• WBM returns to reserve tank or discharge

Fluid Displacement
 INVERT EMULSION MUDS
(cont’d)
• Spacer returns
– detection
– divert to reserve pit
• No INVERT mud should be discharged as
waste
• Maintain circulation after displacement to
even out properties/heat up mud etc.

Fluid Displacement
 PETROFREE TO OIL MUD
• Consider an intermediate fluid - WBM
• Displace with high YP WBM and high YP
PETROFREE ester spacers
• Use slow circulation rates
– maintain plug flow
– reduce channeling

Fluid Displacement
 Practice Displacement Problem

• You are on a well that has just run 7”

Production casing (6.366” ID) to 9500’
MD/TVD. You are running in the hole with
3.5” OD tubing to complete the well. How
many barrels of spacer would be required to
displace this hole?

Fluid Displacement