Fluid

Classification,
Types,
&
Functions
Introduction
 The single component of the well-
construction process that remains in
contact with the wellbore throughout
the entire drilling operation.

 Designed & formulated to perform

efficiently under expected wellbore
conditions.

 Cost-effective, fit-for-purpose
systems for each interval in the
well-construction process.
 Drilling Fluid
A mixture of Clays, chemicals
water and/or oil, or any fluid
that is used in a drilling
operation in which that fluid
is circulated or pumped from
the surface, down the drill
string, through the bit, and
back to the surface via the
annulus with a primary
intention to provide wellbore
 Drilling Fluids

Non-water base Water base Pneumatic

Diesel Colloidal Clay Dry Gas

Clay and
Mineral Oil Mist/Foam
Polymer

Non
Polymer Gasified Mud
Hydrocarbon
 Non water base

Synthetic
Diesel Oil Mineral Oil
fluid

Ethers Ordinary

Esters Enhanced Purity

Olefin Oligomer

Blends
 Water base

Non-
Inhibitive Polymer
Inhibitive

Sea Water Non

Clear water
base Dispersed

Potassium High Temperature

Native
base Deflocculated

Bentonite /
Water
[Spud] Salt water
base

Deflocculated
Major Functions of Drilling
Fluids
 Control Subsurface Pressure

 Transport Cuttings

 Support and Stabilize the Wellbore

Major Functions of Drilling
Fluids
 Control Subsurface Pressure

 Failure to control down hole

pressures may result in an influx
of formation fluids

 Further resulting in a kick, or

blowout.
 Control Subsurface Pressure
Inert materials
increase
density and as
such increase
hydrostatic
pressure
-Barite
-Haematite
-Calcium
Carbonate
-
 Control Subsurface
Pressure
Pressure (P) – psi

Pressure (psi) = Force (lb) / Area in Square Inch

(sq-in)

Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) – psi

= 0.052 X vert. depth X mud density

Pressure Gradient (G) – psi/ft

Mud Gradient (Psi/ft ) = Mud weight ( PPG) x 0.052

“In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a

result of the weight of the overlying fluid..”
Control Subsurface
Pressure
Control Subsurface
Pressure
Transport Cuttings
 Transport Cuttings
Hole cleaning is
the ability of
a drilling fluid to
suspend cuttings
(drilled solids),
remove them
from the bottom
of the hole and
the well bore, &
Transport Cuttings
Transport Cuttings

An inclination angle greater

than approximately 30° from
vertical poses problems in
cuttings removal that are not
encountered in vertical wells.
 Problems with inadequate
Cuttings Transport
 Premature bit wear
 Slow drilling
 Formation fracturing
 Excessive torque and drag on drill-string
 Difficulties in logging and cementing
 Difficulties in casings landing
The most prevalent problem is excessive
torque and drag, which often leads to
the inability of reaching the target in
high-angle/extended-reach drilling..”
 Transport Cuttings
 Factors Influencing Cuttings transport

- Viscosity
- Density
- Velocity
- Hole Angle
- Pipe Rotation

Fluid must be able to suspend

weight
material and drilled solids in static
state
Velocity
 Velocity is the rate at which mud
circulates.
 Higher annular velocity improves cuttings
removal.
 Velocity is dependent upon pump
capacity, pump speed, bore hole size and
drill pipe size.
Cuttings
Annular Slip will be
Velocity Velocity transpor
ted
Transport Cuttings
Transport Cuttings
 Transport Cuttings
Stokes law:

•Cutting Slip Velocity

Vs is the cutting slip velocity.

K is constant.
ρs is density of cutting.
Ρf is density of drilling fluid.
d is average diameter of cutting.
µ is mud viscosity
Transport Cuttings

•Cutting Slip Velocity

 Transport Cuttings
Example:
Please use the following information to determine annular
velocity, cutting slip velocity, net rise velocity, and tell us if
•Cutting Slip Velocity

the flow rate is good for hole cleaning.

Information
Flow rate = 300 gpm
Hole Diameter = 6.3 inch
Drill pipe OD = 4 inch
PV = 15 cps
MW = 10 ppg
Diameter of cutting = 0.20 inch
Density of cutting = 20.0 ppg
 Transport Cuttings
Determine annular velocity with following equation:

•Cutting Slip Velocity

Determine cutting slip velocity with following equation:

Net Value = Cuttings Transport Velocity

 DEBATE
Is High Annular Velocity
Detrimental?
Velocity Profile
 Velocity Profile
 The figure depicts a fluid flowing up an annulus.
A force exists in the fluid which resists fluid flow.
This force, shear stress, is analogous to the
friction arising when one fluid layer moves past
another.

 The fluid velocity increases progressively away

from zero at the walls to a maximum near the
center of the annulus. This occurs because it is
easier for each fluid layer to move past another
fluid layer than to move past the walls.

 The rate at which a fluid layer moves past

another is called “shear rate”.
 Density
 Density is weight, per unit volume of mud
and has a buoyant effect upon the particles.

 Increasing mud density increases its

carrying capacity both by buoyancy and
particles due to additional solids in
interference.

“Buoyancy is an upward force exerted by

a fluid that opposes the weight of an
immersed object..”
 Viscosity
 Viscosity is a measure
of a fluids resistance to
flow.

 Cuttings settle rapidly

in low-viscosity fluids
and are difficult to
circulate out of the well.

 Elevated–viscosity
fluids improve cuttings
“For efficient hole cleaning, fluids are desired to
transport.
have shear thinning & have elevated viscosities
at low annular velocities..”
Pipe Rotation

 The whirling motion of the string

around the wall of the borehole when
it rotates is a big contributor to hole
cleaning enhancement.

 Mechanical agitation of the cuttings

bed on the low side of the hole, and
exposing the cuttings to higher fluid
velocities when the pipe moves to
the high side of the hole are results
Pipe Eccentricity
• How off-centre a pipe is within another pipe or the
open hole & it is usually expressed as a percentage.

• A pipe would be considered to be fully (100%)

eccentric if it were lying against the inside diameter of
the enclosing pipe or hole. A pipe would be said to be
concentric (0% eccentric) if it were perfectly centered
in the outer pipe or hole.
Hole Angle
 When hole angle increases from zero
to approximately 67° from vertical,
hole cleaning becomes more difficult,
and flow-rate requirement increases.

 The flow-rate requirements reach a

maximum at approximately 65 to 67°.
Support And Stabilize
Wellbore
 Filtration is the mechanism

 Affected By:

- Fluid Hydrostatic Pressure

- Loss of Filtrate to permeable Formations
- Composition of the Fluid

Filtration rate is directly proportional

to
Pressure differential between
formation
Support And Stabilize Wellbore
Filter Cake - A layer of
concentrated solids from the
drilling mud which forms on
the walls of the borehole
opposite permeable
formations.

Filtrate - The liquid portion of

the mud which passes
through thefluids
“Drilling filter cake into produce low quality
which
the formation.
or thick filter cakes may also cause tight
hole conditions including stuck pipe,
difficulty in running casing and poor
Minor Functions of Drilling
Fluids
 Support Weight of Tubulars

 Cool and Lubricate the Bit and Drill String

 Transmit Hydraulic Horsepower to Bit

 Provide Medium for Wireline Logging

 Assist in the Gathering of Subsurface

Geological Data and Formation
Evaluation
Additional benefits
 Minimize Formation Damage
 Reduce Corrosion
 Minimize Lost Circulation
 Reduce Stuck Pipe
 Reduce Pressure Losses
 Improve Penetration Rates
 Reduce Environmental Impact
 Improve Safety
Reduce Corrosion
Minimize Loss Circulation
 Reduce Stuck Pipe
Pipe sticking can be caused by several factors:

 Poor Cuttings Removal

 Hole Sloughing

 Lost Circulation

 Differential Pressure Sticking

 Key-seating
Common types of pipe
sticking
Common types of pipe
sticking
The most important function of drilling fluids is
to provide a stable wellbore. Without that,
nothing else is possible.

Stability is a relative thing. The hole that is going

to be drilled and cased off in one day does not
need the same inhibition as one that will take a
week to drill, and another week to log and run
pipe on. Circulating and conditioning, reaming
and wiping holes is unproductive time.

Cheap muds an become very expensive when rig

time becomes part of the mud cost.
Fluid Selection criteria
Drilling fluids are selected on the basis of one or
more of the following criteria:
• Cost
• Application and Performance
• Production Concerns
• Logistics
• Exploration Concerns
• Environmental Impact and Safety
 Other pre-determinants:
 Pore pressure /fracture gradient plots to establish
the minimum / maximum mud weights to be used
on the well-construction process

 Offset well data (drilling/completion reports, mud

recaps, mud logs etc.) from similar wells in the area
to help establish successful systems, problematic
formations, potential hazards, estimated drilling
time etc.

 Geological plot of the prognosed (expected)

lithology.
Contd.
 Casing design from the casing programmer. This
will give a good indication of what the mud has to
deal with per hole section i.e. formation type, hole
size and length etc.

 Basic mud properties required over each hole

section.
 Summary
 Economics:
Drilling fluid cost should always be considered as
part of the big picture of operational costs.

Drilling faster wells is the objective. That is where

the money may be saved.

Benchmarks
• Price per Sack
• Price per Barrel
• Mud Price per Well
• Total Well Cost
• Total Well Cost per BOE/Day (production)
 Summary
 A major component in drilling operation success is
drilling fluid performance.

 The cost of searching for hydrocarbon reserves

becomes more expensive when drilling occurs
offshore, in deep water, and in hostile environments.
These drilling environments require fluids that excel in
performance.

 Measuring fluid performance requires the evaluation of

all key drilling parameters and their associated cost.

“Simply stated, the effectiveness of a fluid is judged by

its influence on overall well cost…”