EXPERIMENT 7

SALT WATER DRILLING MUDS

1. OBJECTIVES
a. To learn the properties of salt muds; salt contamination to fresh muds and treatment
b. To get familiar with instrument and techniques used before.
2. APPARATUS AND TEST MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS
a. Bariod mud balance
b. Filter press assembly
c. Fann VG meter
d. Stirrer
e. Beckman pH meter
f. Stopwatch
g.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

Distilled water
Bentonite
Salt (NaCl)
Impermex (starch, control fluid loss in saturated salt water and lime muds))
Zeogel (attapulgite, viscosifier in salt water muds)
Driscose (pure grade CMC)
Quebracho
NaOH
Chemicals for filtrate alkalinity and salt content tests

3. PROCEDURES

a. Experiment procedures
Mix 350 ml of 5% Zeogel (attapulgite, viscosifier in salt water muds) mud sample. Add 315,000 ppm salt, stir 5
minutes. Add 5 ppb starch, stir 15 minutes. Wait 30 minutes to let the mud age. Determine density with mud
balance. Determine viscosity, gel strengths with Fann VG meter. Determine filtration properties with filter press
assembly. Determine the pH, Pf and Mf and salt content. Record all measured parameters.
b. Salt content (chloride ion concentration) determination
Measure one or more ml of filtrate into the titration vessel. Add 2 or 3 drops of phenolphthalein solution. If the
indicator turns pink, add acid drop by drop from pipette, with stirring, until the color is discharged. If the filtrate
is deeply colored, add an additional 2 ml of N/50 normal sulfuric acid and stir. Then add 1 gm of calcium
carbonate and stir
Add 25 to 50 ml of distilled water and 5 to 10 drops of potassium chromate solution. Stir continuously while
adding 0.282N standard silver nitrate solution drop from the pipette, until the color changes from yellow to
orange-red and persists for 30 seconds. Record the number of ml of silver nitrate required to reach the end
point. If over 10 ml of 0.282N silver nitrate solution are used, repeat the test with a smaller sample of filtrate

4. FORMULAS USED IN THIS EXPERIMENT

Bingham Plastic Model: =y+p

600
2
p 600 300
a

y 300 p
Power Law Model: =Kn


l
log 600
0.301
300
511
. 300
K
(poise)
511n
n

CALCULATION OF CHLORIDE ION CONCENTRATION

( ml of 0.282 N silver nitrate)(10,000)

ml of filtrate sample
Chloride, mg/L=

Chloride, mg / L
Specific gravity of filtrate
Chloride, ppm=
Salt (NaCl), ppm=(1.65)(Chloride, ppm)
CALCULATION OF FILTRATE ALKALINITY

ml of N / 50 sulfuric acid
ml of filtrate
Alkalinity =
REPORT:
Report density, viscosity, initial and 10-minute gel strengths, pH, filtration parameters, Pf, Mf, and salt content
Compare and discuss

PARAMETERS
WEIGHT OF MUD
(lbm/gal)
VISCOSITY,
FUNNEL (Sec)
FANN VG METER
READING, 600
rpm
FANN VG METER
READING, 300
rpm
INITIAL GEL
STRENGTH
(lb/100 sq ft)
10-MIN. GEL
STRENGTH
(lb/100 sq ft)
FILTRATE (ml)
FILTER CAKE
THICKNESS (1/32
in)
SAND CONTENT
(% by volume)
pH SCALE
pH METER
SALT CONTENT
(ppm)
CALCIUM
SULFATE
ALKALINITY, Pf
ALKALINITY, Mf
ALKALINITY, Pm
RESISTIVITY, Rm
(ohm-meter)
RESISTIVITY, Rmf
(ohm-meter)

Mud
Sample 1

Mud
Sample 2

Mud
Sample 3

Mud
Sample 4

Mud
Sample 5

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

RESISTIVITY, Rmc
(ohm-meter)