DRILLING FLUID

Role of Drilling Fluid

Transport drilled cuttings to the surface (Hole
Cleaning)
•Control subsurface pressure (No Activity)
•Stabilises Well Bore (No Caving)
•Suspend drilled cuttings when circulation is
stopped.
•Minimise loss of fluid to formation (Filtrate &
whole mud).
•Cool and lubricate bit and drill string
 Role of Drilling Fluid
• Help suspend the weight of the drill string
and
casing.
•Deliver hydraulic energy upon the
formation
beneath bit.
•Provide suitable medium for wire line logs.
•Minimise pay zone damage.
•Maintain Green Environment.
 Mud Additives and Functions
Viscosity:
Bentonite clay, Attapulgite clay, Xanthan gum,
Partially hydrolysed polyacrylamide (PHPA),
High molecular weight cellulose (CMC & PAC)
Fluid Loss Control:
Starch, Cellulose (CMC & PAC), Bridging
materials like sized calcium carbonates,
thinners (disperse added clay &drilled solids)
 Mud Additives and Functions
Shale Inhibition:
Potassium salts (chloride, acetate, formate)
Calcium salts (Gypsum, lime), PHPA, Glycols,
Cationic polymers, Silicates, Aluminium salts.
Density:
Barite, Hematite, Calcium carbonate/dolomite
Brines & salt crystals, Trimanganese Tetra-
oxide.
 Mud Additives and Functions
Lubricity:
Oil (diesel, mineral, synthetic, vegetable)
Glycols, Surfactants, Solid additives ( glass
or polymer beads, graphite).
Lost circulation control materials:
Bridging materials- Granular walnut, coconut
shells; Fibrous saw dust , rice husk; Thermogel;
thermo-setting capsules, marine shell flakes,
Micro-bubble.
 Invert emulsion muds
• Contain oil as continuous phase and
emulsion droplets of salt brines.
• Oil: water ratios typically between 75:25
and 80:20.
• Surfactants stabilise emulsion and keep
solids oil-wet.
• Viscosity obtained from organophilic clay
and water droplets.
 All- Oil muds
• Special type of invert mud.
• Typical Oil: water ratio of 100:0 to 90:10 ( in reality
all oil muds contain some water).
• Often considered less damaging than inverts
because of lower surfactant levels.
• Rheology more like polymeric water base mud
( typically lower plastic viscosity than invert
emulsion muds).

Oil types: Diesel oil, LTMO (low aromatic content);

synthetic oils- esters, ethers, paraffins, Olefins
( linear, branched, terminal, internal); Linear Alkyl
Benzene.
 CURRENT CHALLENGE
• Loose sand
• Clay
• Shale
• Pay zone
• Shale
• Pay zone

Due to production over the year, pay

zone pressure are depleting
 LOOSE SAND/ GRAVEL

FLUID COMPOSITION

FRESH WATER

BENTONITE (7-8%)

CAUSTIC SODA

BENTONITE EXTENDER (IF NEED ARISE)

 LOOSE SAND/ GRAVEL

DRILLING RATE FASTER; GAIN IN PV, GAIN IN

WEIGHT
RUNNING OF DESANDER MOST ESSENTIAL
PROPER SHALE SHAKER SCREEN (40X40 OR
60X60)
RESERVE TANK SHOULD BE KEPT FULL OF
HYDRATED BENTONITE SUSPENSION
CLEANING OF CHANNEL DURING EACH
CONNECTION
 LOOSE SAND/ GRAVEL

ENSURE PROPER HOLE CLEANING

KEEP A CHECK ON SUCTION TANK VOLUME

FOR INCIDENCE OF SEEPAGE LOSS

MAINTAIN VISCOCITY, pH, SAND CONTENT

AS PER GTO
 CLAY

FLUID COMPOSITION

SAME MUD AS IN PREVIOUS SECTION

NO ADDITION OF BENTONITE WHEN CLAY IS

BEING DRILLED

NO ADDITION OF CAUSTIC SODA EXCEPT

WITH THINNER
 CLAY

DRILLING RATE SLOWER AS COMPARED TO

LOOSE SAND

GAIN IN VISCOSITY ; YP IN PARTICULAR

USE OF THINNER AND F/L CONTROL AGENT

AS AND WHEN REQUIRED

USE OF DRILLING DETERGENT

PROPER SHALE SHAKER SCREEN (40X40 OR

60X60)
 CLAY

RESERVE TANK SHOULD BE KEPT FULL OF

MUD THROUGH THE VOLUME GAINED IN
CLAY DRILLING
CLEANING OF CHANNEL DURING EACH
CONNECTION
ENSURE PROPER HOLE CLEANING
KEEP A CHECK ON SUCTION TANK VOLUME
FOR INCIDENCE OF SEEPAGE LOSS
MAINTAIN VISCOCITY, pH, SAND CONTENT
AS PER GTO
 WHAT ARE SHALES

•Sedimentary Rocks, Formed By

Compaction Over Geological Time In
Marine Basin

• Composed Of Sand, Silt, Clays,

Certain Minerals And Organic Matter
 WHAT ARE SHALES

>80% Constituents Are Different Type

Of Clays

* Montmorillonite
* Illite
* Kaolinite
* Chlorite
* Mica Etc.

 Most Water Sensitive Clay Is

Montmorillonite
 SHALE PROBLEMS

• Tight Hole
• Washouts
• Heaving Of Shales
• Sloughing Of Shales
• Dispersion Of Cuttings
• Stuck up
• Bit Balling
Well bore instability can occur
as a result of :

•Mechanical effects
•Chemical effects
Or a
•Combination of both
Mechanical Effects:

•Inadequate Mud weight (too high or

too low)

•Inappropriate Drilling practices

Chemical Effects:

•Inadequate Mud type

or

•Inadequate inhibition
The boundary between the Pore
pressure/ Collapse pressure and
Fracture pressure is ‘Mud weight
window’

The wider the window the easier the

well is to drill

The narrower the window the more

difficult it is to contain the mud
weight within the stable region
 SHALES

FLUID FOR SHALE

CL-CLS- SULPHONATED SYSTEM

KCl-K-LIGNITE-SULPHONATED SYSTEM

KCl-PHPA SYSTEM

KCl-PHPA-POLYOL SYSTEM
 Chrome Lignite-Chrome
Lignosulphonate Dispersed
Mud System
Technology
Inhibition of shale through maintaining CL-
CLS in desired ratio
Advantage
Solid tolerant
Thermally stable (~1700C)
Stabilising Borehole in conjunction with
weight
Application
Extensively used in Exploratory drilling
Inhibitive KCl-K-Lignite Mud
System
Technology
Enhanced Inhibition of shale through
Potassium ions
Advantage
Solid tolerant
Thermally stable (~1700C)
Stabilise Borehole with lesser SG of Mud
Application
Extensively used in Exploratory drilling
 Low Solids Non dispersed
Polymer (PHPA) Mud System
Technology
Better inhibition of shale through
encapsulation of cutting and coating of
borehole wall by Polymer
Advantage
Increased ROP
Borehole stability
Gauged hole
Improved hole cleaning
Further cut in SG of mud for borehole
stability
Application
Extensively used in Mumbai, Mehsana.
Ahmedabad, Cauvery, Assam, Ankleshwar
asset. Recommended for Development
drilling
Polyol System
Technology
Better inhibition of shale through
manipulating clouding of Polyol at required
BHT with salt. Able to sustain differential
pressure.
Advantage
Increased ROP
Borehole stability
Improvement in lubricity
Good control over HTHP fluid loss
Complication free drilling
Application
Extensively used in Mumbai, Mehsana.
Ahmedabad, Assam, Ankleshwar asset.
Recommended for development drilling
Amine based HPWBM
Amines derivatives are considered as good a
shale inhibitor as Potassium chloride, hence
has the potential to replace KCl in drilling
fluid. Second generation HPWBM
Advantage
Less dose vis-s-vis KCl
Borehole stability
Complication free drilling
Preventing Accretion
Application
Implemented in Ahmedabad
 FLUIDS FOR PAY ZONE
DRILLING
Non Damaging Drilling Fluid
Technology
It is meant to prevent pay zone damage. Non
damaging and degradable constituents are
used for its formulation. Acid degradable
Micronised Calcium Carbonate is used as
bridging material. The fluid is water based.
Advantage
Prevention of pay zone damage
Enhancement of Productivity
Application
Extensively used in Mumbai, Mehsana.
Ahmedabad, Assam, Ankleshwar asset.
Recommended for drilling pay zone of all
development wells
Non Damaging Drilling Fluid
based on Sodium/ Potassium
formate
Technology
Sodium/ Potassium formate are high specific
gravity solids free fluids(SG~ 1.33 with Sod
formate and upto 1.55 with Pot. Formate)
which do not effect rheology adversely. The
salts are inhibitive in nature and sustain
temperature upto1500C.
Advantage
Prevention of pay zone damage
Enhancement of Productivity
Application
Planned for implementation in Assam,
Ahmedabad and Rajamundhry asset
COAL FORMATION
Coal Is A Very Brittle Formation With
Low Compressive Strength.

It Is Usually Highly Fractured And In

Areas Of High Tectonic Stress Can
Instantly Collapse Into The Bore
Hole When The Horizontal Stress Is
Relieved By The Bit : Stuck Pipe Is
Often The End Results.
High Mud Weights Can Rarely Be
Used To Stabilise The Coal
Formations Because Of Their
Inherent Low Fracture Gradients.

The Recognised Technique To Drill

Coal Is To Limit Penetration So That
The Stresses Are Given Chance To
Equilibrate And So That The Blocky
Pieces Of Coal Can Be Removed
From The Hole.
Good Hole Cleaning Is Essential - It
May Be Necessary To Modify The
Cleaning Capacity Of The Mud While
Drilling Coals. The Properties Can Be
Restored To Normal When The Coal
Has Been Drilled.
Alternatively Viscous, Weighted
Sweeps Can Be Used To Enhance
Hole Cleaning - This Is Particularly
Appropriate If The Coal Seam Is
Anticipated To Be Thin.
Should The Pipe Become Stuck In
Coal, And Circulation Is Possible,
Experience Shows That Spotting A
High pH Pill Around The Coal Can
Help To Free The Pipe.

Where The Coal Seam Is Not

Tectonically Stressed And Geological
Information Regarding The Seam Is
Required Care Must Be Taken With
Fluid Properties And Drilling
Practices.
When Coring With Water Based Muds
A Low Filtrate Should Be Utilised And
Jet Velocity Should Be Minimised.
There Is Some Evidence That These
Fractured Rocks Can Be Stabilised
With Products Such As Gilsonite And
Soltex.
ENVIRONMENT CONCERNS
 LC50(PERMISSIBLE VALUE IS >30,000 Mg/L):
•Clay free non damaging system: 87,000 mg/l
•KCl-PHPA system: 85,000 mg/l
•Chrome lignite-Chrome lignosulphonate (CL-
CLS) system: 91,000 mg/l
•HTHP system: 1,32,000 mg/l
•Biopolymer (TSP) system: 69,000 mg/l
•KCl-KOH-K-Lignite system: 71,000 mg/l
•Potassium formate system: 63,000 mg/l
•KCl-Polyol system: 48,000 mg/l
•Sodium formate system: 87,000 mg/l
•Low lime system: 58,000 mg/l