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Mud Logging: BY Dr. Alhussein Adham

Mud logging involves examining drill cuttings brought to the surface by drilling mud to create a record of the borehole. This provides information about lithology and fluid content. Drilling mud serves several functions, including lifting cuttings, controlling pressure, and carrying formation information. The main types of drilling fluids are water-based, oil-based, air, and foam. Mud additives and tests are used to monitor and condition the mud. Mud loggers analyze cuttings and fluid samples using tools like chromatographs and microscopes to identify formations and detect hydrocarbons.

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53 views

Mud Logging: BY Dr. Alhussein Adham

Mud logging involves examining drill cuttings brought to the surface by drilling mud to create a record of the borehole. This provides information about lithology and fluid content. Drilling mud serves several functions, including lifting cuttings, controlling pressure, and carrying formation information. The main types of drilling fluids are water-based, oil-based, air, and foam. Mud additives and tests are used to monitor and condition the mud. Mud loggers analyze cuttings and fluid samples using tools like chromatographs and microscopes to identify formations and detect hydrocarbons.

Uploaded by

tarek mahmoud
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MUD LOGGING

BY
DR. ALHUSSEIN ADHAM
Mud logging, also known as hydrocarbon well
logging, is “the creation of a detailed record (well
log) of a borehole by examining the bits of rock or
sediment brought to the surface by the circulating
drilling medium”.
This provides well owners and producers with
information about the lithology and fluid content of
the borehole while drilling.
FUNCTIONS OF DRILLING MUD:

• Cleaning the hole


• Cooling the drill bit
• Lifting cuttings to the surface
• Control the formation pressure
• Stabilizing the well bore
• Carrying information about formations.
• Helps in the invasion process.
TYPES OF DRILLING FLUIDS
1-Water-Base Mud:
Water is the liquid phase of water-base Mud.
Water is used may be Fresh water or Saline Water.
2-Oil-Base Mud:
Oil is the liquid phase of oil-base Mud.
Advantages of oil-base Mud:
• Stabilizing formation
• Reduce downhole drilling problems
3-Drilling with air:
Dry air or natural gas is used.
In this case, we use arrangements of air compressors instead of mud
pump.
Advantages of this technique:
• Prevent formation damage.
• Allows the bit to drill fast.
• Severe lost circulation problems.
4-Foam drilling:
This technique is used if small amount of water are present in
formation is been drilled
Drilling foam is water containing air or gas bubbles, much like shaving foam
Mud additives:
• Bentonite: which used to increase the Viscosity
• Barite: which used to increase the Density
• Caustic Soda: which used to increase the Alkalinity
NOTES:
• The drilling mud must be dense & viscous to carry cuttings & keep it from
filling
• Drilling mud should have PH of at least 9

Mud Storage, Tanks & Reverse Pit:


• Mud House:
It is called also Sack House which is the place in which Mud sacks & other
additives are
stored.
Mud house keeps the sacks dry & organized.
• Bulk Tanks:
It is called also P-tanks which hold additives like Barite & Bentonite.
It is connected to Hopper to transfer additives to Mud System.
• Active Tanks:
The mud pump takes the mud to Active tanks and circulates to the
system.
Number of Active tanks depends on:
• Amount of mud needed to keep the hole full
• Volume required on surface to keep mud properly circulated

• Settling Tanks:
It lets the solids in mud to settle out (not widely use these days).
• Reserve Tanks:
It is used to:
• Hold excess Mud,
• Mix different types of mud
• Store Heavy Mud for emergency Well control operations.

• Slug Tank:
It is used to mix small amount of mud for special purpose
For example, driller may need a small amount of mud with high
viscosity
• Suction Tank:
It contains the mud is already to circulate downhole
It should be clean & properly conditioned

• Chemical Tank:
It is used to mix special chemicals such as Caustic Soda
It is connected to Active Mud Tank

• Reserve Pit:
It holds excess Mud, Waste Mud and Runoff.
In emergency, it can also used as a place to put more mud than the
tank can hold
We use a Plastic Sheet to prevent Liquid to reach soil
Mud Tests:
The tests are done on mud by the Mud Engineer before circulating.
Mud engineer:
• Runs tests on drilling fluid
• Monitors & maintains mud`s properties
• Recommends changes to improve drilling

Mud Balance:
It is a device is used to determine the mud density.
Density of drilling Mud determines hydrostatic pressure of Mud
Column.
Mud Density reads in Pounds/Gallon (PPG), Pounds/Cubic Feet or
Millie
Gram/Liter.

Marsh Funnel:
It is a device is used to measure the viscosity of Mud.
Funnel Viscosity is 35 sec/quart
• Less viscous if the Funnel viscosity less than 35 sec/quart
• More viscous if Funnel viscosity more than 35 sec/quart
Rotational Viscometer:
It is a device is used to:
• Measure viscosity (Viscosity is measured in Centipoises)
• Measure Yield Point (it is resistance to flow)
• Measure Gel strength (if strength is low, it cant carry particles)

Filter Press:
Equipment is used to measure the filtration under dynamic
conditions.
It is considered as simulation for the invasion process in borehole.
There are two commercial dynamic filtration testers:
• The first one, using thick walled Cylinder with rock as a filter
medium to
simulate the flow into a borehole.
• The other way, using flat porous disks such as paper or fused
ceramic
plates.

Chloride Test:
It is a test for Salt Chlorides in Mud.
It is used to know if the bit reaches a Salt Domes or Salt water.
MUD CONDITIONING

The mud must be cleaned from fine solids and gases before
entering the mud
system circulation again
Fine solids must be removed because:
• Increase weight of Mud more than required
• Reduce penetration rate of bit
• Increase circulating equipment wear
Shale Shaker:
It has a rapidly vibrating screen
The vibrating screen catches the cuttings & sends it to the
Reverse Pit & liquids go to Sand Trap.
Sand Trap:
It traps the sand & small particles that Shale Shaker can`t
trap it.
It locate directly below the Shale Shaker (must be cleaned
regularly to remove the built up solids)
D-Gasser:
It is used to remove gases from the Mud
If gas is not removed from Mud, Mud will be too light & Gas
will lock the Mud Pump
The vacuum makes very easy to gas to escape from mud.
Gas Vented is used to remove the Gases from the system.
Hydrocyclone:
Hydrocyclone system consists of several cones.
Mud with small unwanted particles swirls in cone
This makes the particles forced to side of cone. Then the particles move to the
bottom of the cone & the clean Mud goes out to top.
This movement creates a Vortex in center with low pressure, so this vortex
sucks the liquid Mud through the center.

There are three types of cones in Hydrocyclone system:


A- De-sanders: has a large cones & remove particles is small about 40
microns
B- De-silters: has a smaller cones & remove particles down to 20 microns
C- Mud cleaner: has smallest cones & remove particles about 7 microns
Centrifuge:
It rotates the mud with high speed which creates
centrifugal force.
It removes particles as small as 2-5 microns.
Sometimes, crew members run Centrifuge at specific
speed to remove Barite so it can be used again.
Usually, two Centrifuges can be run
• One is used to remove Barite
• The other is used to remove the smaller particles

Pit Volume Totalizer: (PVT)


PVT displays the change in Mud level in tanks (floating in
each tank).
Mud level in tanks is important information
• If level rises, indicating that the well has kicked (kick fluid
cause mud to rise)
• If level falls, indicating that the mud was stored in
formation (Lost circulation)
MUD LOGGING & TESTING
Drilling Mud carries the cuttings to the surface.
It carries also traces about any Hydrocarbons & other substances
The cuttings give great information to geologists about what’s going on in the
well.
Analyzing the drilling fluid is called Mud Logging.

Rig Monitors:
It shows:
• Rate of Penetration (ROP)
• Weight on Bit (WOB)
• Total Hook Load (the total force pulling down on the Hook)
• Rotary Speed or RPM
• Rotary Torque ( the twisting force on drill string)
• Pit Volume PVT (the level of Mud tank)
• Mud Weight ( in & out the hole)
• Mud temperature & Pump Strokes
• Casing & Stand Pipe Pressure
Mud logger can combine Rig information with other information from Drillers &
Wireline Operator
Chromatograph:
It displays the percentage of Hydrocarbon gases in
Mud returns to the surface.
It consists of sensors integrated in Mud Return Line to
detect gases.
Core Plugging Apparatus:
It is apparatus takes a small plug out from the Core
Sample.
Mud logger can analyze the plug to give idea what
a large Core Sample contains.
Fluoroscope:
It is a device contains Ultraviolet lamp.
When mud logger or geologist puts cuttings or Plug in
the Fluoroscope, it will glow
or flours when contain hydrocarbons.
Microscope:
It helps the mud logger or geologists to identify formations,
& know very small
characteristics & fossils also.
Vacuum Oven:
It is used to dry up formation samples
Analytical Balance:
It is a device used to calculate the rock density & porosity
for a fixed weight.
Porosimeter:
It measures the porosity of the rock (more pore space is
more space for oil).
Gas Analyzer:
It analyzes hydrocarbon gases in mud & detects Hydrogen
Sulphide & Carbon
Dioxide (Non hydrocarbon Gases).
• Sour Gas: Gas that contains Hydrogen Sulphide
• Sweet Gas: Gas that contains little or no Hydrogen
Sulphide
References

Nuclear Logging System and Its Application to Formation Evaluation,”


paper SPE 8361 presented at the 1979 SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition.

Brown, R.J.S. and Neuman, C.H.: “Processing and Display of Nuclear


Magnetism Logging Systems: Application of Residual Oil Saturation,”
Trans., 1980 SPWLA Annual Logging Symposium.

Herron, M.M.: “Subsurface Geochemistry: 1 Future Applications of


Geochemical Data,” Nuclear Data for Applied Nuclear Geophysics
Meeting, Vienna, April 7-9, 1986.

Naar, J., Wygal, R.J., and Henderson, J.H.: “Imbibition Relative


Permeability in Unconsolidated Porous Media,” Sm. Pet. Engr. J. (1962).

THE END

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